hanan

Hanan is a given name used across several cultures. In Hebrew, the root ḥ-n-n conveys grace, favor, or mercy, and the form Hanan appears in ancient sources as a male name; in modern Hebrew it remains primarily masculine though its use varies by community. In Arabic-speaking contexts, Hanan (written حنان) is common as a female name and means tenderness or compassion.

The name is found in Jewish, Arab, and Muslim-majority societies, and has been adopted by diasporic communities worldwide. It is also used as a surname in some cases and across unrelated linguistic regions, though less commonly.

Notable people with the given name include Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestinian scholar, diplomat, and former member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, and Hanan Al-Hroub, a Palestinian educator who won the Global Teacher Prize in 2016. These examples illustrate the name's cross-cultural presence in the Middle East and beyond.

Variants and transliterations include Hanán or Hanane in some languages; in Arabic transliteration, Hanan may also be written as Hanaan. The related Hebrew name Hannah shares a common semantic root with Hanan.