My name is Hannah

Write your whole name, or a nickname, and then jot down some ideas about it.  Are you named for someone?  Do you like your name?  Is there a funny story associated with you name, how it's pronounced, or how it's spelled?  Are there things you don't know about her name - why your parents gave it to you or what the word means?  Write those questions too.  Write quickly without stopping much to consider how you sound or where you're headed.  The idea is to get your initial thoughts on the page or screen where you can see them. 

Hannah Marie O’Daniel

Hannah

From the Hebrew name Channah, it means grace. Hannah was also the mother of the prophet Samuel in the Old Testament.

Marie

Marie is the French form of Mary, which is derived from the Hebrew Miryam. The name has many debated meaning such as “sea of bitterness”, “sea of sorrow”, “rebellion”, “wished for child”, “mistress or lady of the sea”.

O’Daniel

The original Gaelic for of O’Daniel was O’Domhnaill, which means descendant of Domhnall or descendant of Donal.

I was named Hannah after my great-great-grandma Hannah on my mom’s side and I was named Marie after my Grandma Sylvia and Aunt Teresa on my dad’s side. After naming my sister after no one but just thinking that they sounded cool, my parents wanted to name me after family.

I always got the nickname Hannah Banana when I was little and one day I looked at my mom and said, “Mom, I hate Hannah Banana, can you start calling me Hannah Strawberry?” Needless to say I am still mocked for that one. Other nicknames that I have acquired over the years are Hannie Rie, Hannah Honeycomb, Hans, Han-Solo, Han, and my personal favorite, the black Slim Shadey. Too bad that one never stuck.

            And just to set the record straight, I was Hannah before Hannah Montana.