From Hebrew 'shoshannah' meaning lily or rose, a biblical name from the Book of Daniel.
Susanna is an ancient name with roots in the Hebrew Shoshannah, meaning “lily” or sometimes “rose” in older interpretive traditions, though lily is the more standard association. The name moved into Greek and Latin as Susanna and spread widely through Jewish and Christian scripture. In the Book of Daniel, Susanna is the virtuous heroine of the story often called “Susanna and the Elders,” a narrative that gave the name strong associations with innocence, dignity, and moral courage.
Few names have traveled so gracefully across languages. It appears as Susanna, Susannah, Suzanne, Suzanna, Zsuzsanna, and other forms throughout Europe and beyond. The story of Susanna inspired painters from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, including Tintoretto, Rubens, and Artemisia Gentileschi, who revisited the biblical scene with very different emphases.
The name also entered music and literature: the folk song “Oh! Susanna” gave it an unmistakable place in American culture, while countless novels and poems have used it for characters meant to suggest beauty or gentleness. In usage, Susanna has moved in waves.
It was cherished among Jews and Christians for centuries, then alternately felt formal, romantic, or old-fashioned depending on the period. Today it often reads as a timeless classic rather than a dated one, partly because it has never disappeared entirely. Its floral meaning keeps it soft, but its scriptural and artistic history gives it substance. Susanna manages to sound graceful without fragility, and familiar without losing its old-world music.