Hanna Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Hanna last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Hanna last name
Meaning of the Hanna last name: descendant of Annadh. Hanna is an Ulster form of the Galloway surname Hannay, which comes from Gaelic Ó hAnnaidh. The family was long settled in Wigtownshire, and in the 1600s the last name spread into Ulster, where Hanna became the usual spelling. A curious detail of this surname origin: it is still a common name in Antrim and Down, and in America it is often confused with the girl's name Hannah.
Arms associated with the Hanna name
Coats of arms associated with the Hanna surname come from the heraldry of Galloway in south-west Scotland, carried to Ulster by settlers, each set out in a short blazon.
Get your full Hanna family history
This is only a glimpse of the Hanna story. The full Hanna history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Hanna coat of arms. Get the full Hanna report.
Hanna name FAQ
What does the Hanna name mean?
Descendant of Annadh. Common variants include Hannay, Hannah, Hanney.
Where does the Hanna surname come from?
It originates in Northern Ireland, and is also found in the United States, Scotland and Canada.
Is there a Hanna coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Hanna coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Pádraig Mac Giolla-Domhnaigh, Some Ulster Surnames (Dublin, 1923); George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); MacLysaght, The Surnames of Ireland.