Suz is a short form of Susan, used as a given name primarily in English-speaking countries. It originated as a casual abbreviation of Susan, which itself is a variant of Susanna. Susanna traces back through Greek Σουσάννα (Sousanna) to the Hebrew name שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (Shoshanna), derived from the word שׁוֹשָׁן (shoshan) meaning "lily"—and in modern Hebrew also "rose"—possibly from the Egyptian sšn "lotus". In the Old Testament Apocrypha, Susanna is the virtuous woman falsely accused of adultery, later vindicated by the prophet Daniel. This story kept the name in occasional use during the Middle Ages, but it became truly widespread only after the Protestant Reformation, when the spelling Susan gained popularity. From the 1940s to the 1960s, Susan soared in both the United States and the United Kingdom, partly thanks to influential bearers like American feminist Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906) who was born within that early period though her fame preceded the mid-century boom. The short form Suz rose alongside this trend as a hip, affectionate variant akin to other clipped nicknames such as Sue, Susie, Suzi, Sookie, Suki, and Sukie. Unlike these, Suz uses a 'z' rather than an 's' to reflect a more relaxed pronunciation. Related names across languages include Slovene Suzana, Arabic Sawsan, Armenian Shushan and Shushanik, Ukrainian Susanna, and Russian Syuzanna—all ultimately connected to the same root referring to the lily or lotus flower.