Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Hanna/Hana/Hannah

45 replies

Heavenlymermaid · 01/03/2019 07:29

Hello,

I am new here so please bare with me.

I emigrated from Germany to London a couple of years ago and am expecting my first child- a girl.

I want to call her Hanna, but a close friend of mine has told me that I should spell it Hannah as Hana/Hanna is a very ethnic spelling.

But she has also told me that Hannah/hana/Hanna is generally very popular with the Muslim population and she would not consider it an “international” name anymore.

I don’t know if this is just a London thing? I don’t have any children so I can’t really judge myself.

Is Hannah very popular where you live? Would you say it is attached to a specific ethnic demographic.

This is in no way meant to be racist at all, I am just not aware how names are viewed in the UK.

Thanks

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

NeatFreakMama · 01/03/2019 17:49

My names Hannah, personally when I was a kid I loved it because it's the same backwards as well as forwards and easy to spell

DramaAlpaca · 01/03/2019 18:32

I prefer the Hanna spelling.

KateGrey · 01/03/2019 18:33

My best friend’s dd is called Hannah and I love the name.

3timeslucky · 01/03/2019 18:38

Where I am it would be Hannah. Hanna is a surname here (not a common one though). You can spell it how you like, but your daughter could find themselves continuously correcting the spelling as the assumed default will be Hannah.

Lovely name!

origamiunicorn · 01/03/2019 18:45

I know 3 Hannahs where I live in (approx 95% white British area) and a Hannah from Sweden. Its definitely an international name. Prefer it with the extra H as Hanna reminds me of the film.

PeppermintCactus · 01/03/2019 19:58

It's my name and I'm not a fan, sorry! I like the palindromic factor but its just so ubiquitous now, there are several of us just in my extended family (not related to each other by blood, but by marriage, or siblings of people related by marriage etc). And I get called Han a lot which isn't that nice a nickname really. It's not a classic either imho as you rarely meet one under 40, it's a name of the 80s onwards (even if it does appear in the bible).

origamiunicorn · 01/03/2019 20:31

It's not a classic either imho as you rarely meet one under 40

All the Hannahs I know are mid 20s

PeppermintCactus · 01/03/2019 20:39

All the Hannahs I know are mid 20s

Ah yes, oops! I meant to say you rarely meet one over 40!

I'm a bit older than mid 20s, but definitely under 40, and of most of the other Hannahs I know are younger than me.

Aragog · 01/03/2019 20:53

Where I work with have children, and staff, called Hannah, Hanna and Hana.

It's fairly popular in that it's quite timeless and just appears once or twice a year. But not overdone type of popular.

So far I've only seen Hanna and Hana spellings with our Asian community, mainly Muslim. The Hannah spelling has been white British predominately.

Aragog · 01/03/2019 20:55

The ones (Hannah, Hanna, Hana) I've know, based on their ages now, would be aged 4 - to mid 50s.

AlliKaneErikson · 01/03/2019 21:20

I currently teach a Hannah, Hanna and a Hana! All are Welsh, but Hanna and Hana have Eastern European roots too.

Chocolatedeficitdisorder · 01/03/2019 21:48

My niece is Hannah Banana. I don't think the 'Banana' part is on her birth certificate.

wallymum · 01/03/2019 21:57

My mum's maiden name is Hannah and my middle name is Hannah. It's a beautiful, soft, gentle name. Not that it matters but we're British it must be an exciting international name.

Bumblebeesmum · 02/03/2019 10:22

Hanna is often used in Scotland so I really wouldn’t worry it’s hardly difficult to spell !

I do love Hannah though

icannotremember · 02/03/2019 10:31

Hannah is lovely. Most people will expect that spelling but other spellings are hardly difficult so wouldn't be a problem. And who cares if it indicates your ethnicity? My dc have Polish names, they are proud of their heritage.

daisypond · 02/03/2019 10:36

Hannah would be my first assumed spelling, but Hanna is fine. I think you should use the name that reflects your heritage. I know a German girl called Hanna living in the UK and a Czech one called Hana, so they would be my default spellings for those countries.

Arowana · 02/03/2019 10:42

I was at school with a Hannah, and I'm over 40!

I know an English Hannah (age 9) and a Hana age 19 whose heritage I'm not sure of.

Designerenvy · 02/03/2019 10:48

Hannah

Designerenvy · 02/03/2019 10:50

Sorry, sent too soon, I've only seen it spelt " Hannah" but I'm sure there's other variations, depend8ng on where you live or where you were originally from. Go with what you prefer and feel is right for your baby xx

SemperIdem · 02/03/2019 20:21

Hannah is the standard white British spelling.

Hana would make me assume a Muslim background

Hanna would make me assume European background.

I’ve seen all the spellings at one point or another.

Flip

1 2