Susanna
Name Origin & Meaning
From the Hebrew 'shoshanah' (lily, a lotus flower), a flower associated in the Song of Solomon with beauty, purity, and the beloved. The lily's white petals and its emergence from muddy water made it a symbol of purity found in unlikely places. Susanna's quiet mention in Luke 8 places her among the women who supported Jesus financially — fragrant and sustaining, like the flower for which she was named.
First Biblical Appearance
“And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.”
Susanna listed among the faithful women disciples who funded Jesus' ministry.
Biblical Significance
Susanna is named by Luke among the women who accompanied Jesus and supported his ministry out of their own means (Luke 8:3). Though only mentioned once, her inclusion in this named group marks her as a genuine disciple of some significance. The name also belongs to the protagonist of the deuterocanonical story of Susanna (Daniel 13 in Catholic Bibles), a righteous woman falsely accused and vindicated by the young Daniel — an earlier bearer of the name's virtue.
Notable Bearers
- Susanna disciple of Jesus
- Susanna of the Book of Daniel (deuterocanon)
Personality & Character
Resurrection and abundance — the number of new beginnings after the seventh day of completion
Spiritual symbolism drawn from Scripture and tradition
Modern Variants
A Blessing for This Name
May you bloom like the lily in whatever mud of circumstance you find yourself planted in. May your quiet generosity sustain the work of God when no one else is keeping record, and may your name be written in the book of those who gave.