Chani as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Chani

What is the meaning of the name Chani ?

The baby name Chani is a girl name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KHAH-nee.

Chani is Hebrew in Origin.

Chani is a Jewish feminine diminutive of Chana, Hebrew חַנָּה Ḥannāh, recorded in the Hebrew Bible as Samuel’s mother. Its root is the Semitic verb חנן ḥ-n-n, to show favor or be gracious; the doubled nun reflects a Hebrew nominal pattern. As a pet form, Chani adds the -i ending used in Yiddish and Ashkenazi Hebrew naming, giving the literal sense grace or favor.

The name is especially familiar in Orthodox and Hasidic communities, where Chana and Chani function as formal name and everyday call-name. Biblical Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel gave the parent name Jewish and Christian resonance, while Greek and Latin Anna spread separately through Europe. In U.S. data, Chani remains rare and is recorded mainly from the late twentieth century; Chana is the more established public form. Variants include Chanah, Channah, Hannah, Hanna, Anna, and Chanie.