UK name, mostly girls
Hanan
An Arabic name meaning "tenderness, affection" or "adorned with beauty".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Hanan is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Hanan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2411, with 11 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 37 births.
This profile covers 649 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 30% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 648 living people in the UK are called Hanan. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Hanan ranked #2411 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 11 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2010, when 37 girls were registered as Hanan.
- • Hanan ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #765 in 2019.
- • About 648 living people in the UK are estimated to have Hanan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 89.3% of Hanan registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2411
2024
Births in 2024
11
Latest year
Peak year
2010
37 births
Estimated living
648
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Hanan
In England and Wales birth records, Hanan has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 10.7% of registrations are for boys and 89.3% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Hanan registered for boys
- Ranked #2,671 in 2024
- 8 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (8 births)
Hanan registered for girls
- Ranked #2,411 in 2024
- 11 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2010 (37 births)
Meaning
What does Hanan mean?
Hanan is a name with origins tracing back to the Hebrew language. The name is derived from the Hebrew word "hanan," which means "he was gracious" or "he showed favor." It is a name that has been used in the Jewish and Christian traditions for centuries.
The earliest recorded use of the name Hanan can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. In the Book of Jeremiah, there is mention of a man named Hanan, who was one of the princes of Judah during the reign of King Zedekiah in the 6th century BC.
In the New Testament, Hanan is also mentioned as the name of a high priest who presided over the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council that condemned Jesus to death. This Hanan lived in the 1st century AD and was a prominent figure in the religious and political affairs of his time.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Hanan. One such figure was Hanan ben Hananiah, a Jewish scholar and tanna (teacher) who lived in the 2nd century AD and is mentioned in the Talmud.
Another famous bearer of the name was Hanan al-Naqdī, an Arab mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 9th century AD. He made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and is known for his work on the calculation of spherical triangles.
In the medieval period, there was Hanan ben Isaac, a Jewish philosopher and physician who lived in the 11th century AD in Spain. He wrote extensively on topics ranging from medicine and astronomy to philosophy and theology.
Moving forward in time, a notable figure named Hanan Ashrawi was born in 1946. She is a Palestinian politician, scholar, and activist who has been a prominent spokesperson for the Palestinian cause and has worked towards resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through diplomatic means.
Finally, Hanan Turkiye was a Turkish-Cypriot artist and poet who lived from 1924 to 1996. He is celebrated for his contributions to the cultural and literary landscape of Cyprus, and his works have been widely acclaimed and translated into various languages.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Hanan over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Hanan in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Hanan, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 11 births in 2024, compared with 37 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hanan by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Hanan was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1749 | 89 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1460 | 225 | 10 |
| 2000s | #937 | 289 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1567 | 46 | 4 |
Geography
Where Hanan is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Hanan. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Hanan ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #765 in 2019.
Across the UK
Hanan in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#765 in 2019
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Hanan
-
Hanan Abdalla
cinematographer; film director; film producer
British-Egyptian film director
1988-
Related
Names similar to Hanan
- Hannah 67,635
- Holly 52,307
- Harriet 24,781
- Hollie 17,902
- Harper 15,784
- Heidi 12,675
- Hallie 9,873
- Hope 9,414
- Hayley 5,968
- Hazel 5,954
- Hanna 5,735
- Heather 5,497
FAQ
Hanan: questions and answers
How popular is the name Hanan in the UK right now?
In 2024, Hanan was ranked #2411 for girls in England and Wales, with 11 births registered.
When was Hanan most popular?
The peak year on record was 2010, with 37 babies registered as Hanan in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Hanan?
An Arabic name meaning "tenderness, affection" or "adorned with beauty".
How many people are called Hanan in the UK?
A total of 649 babies have been registered as Hanan across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Hanan most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Hanan ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #765 in 2019. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.