UK boy's name
Hansen
A masculine Scandinavian name derived from the given name Hans or Johann, meaning "God is gracious".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Hansen is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Hansen popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4270, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 4 births.
This profile covers 19 England and Wales registrations across 6 recorded years from 2004 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Hansen is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 19 living people in the UK are called Hansen. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Hansen ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 4 boys were registered as Hansen.
- • About 19 living people in the UK are estimated to have Hansen as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4270
2024
Births in 2024
4
Latest year
Peak year
2024
4 births
Estimated living
19
2026
Meaning
What does Hansen mean?
Hansen is a given name that originated from the Old Norse language. It is a compound name that combines the elements "hans" meaning "Hans" or "Johannes" and "son" meaning "son of". This suggests that the name was initially used as a patronymic, indicating the person was the son of someone named Hans or Johannes.
The name can be traced back to the Viking Age, which lasted from the late 8th century to the late 11th century. During this period, the Vikings, who were Scandinavian seafarers, traders, and raiders, traveled widely across Europe and beyond. It is likely that the name Hansen was brought to various regions by these Vikings and their descendants.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hansen can be found in the Icelandic sagas, which are prose narratives written in the 13th and 14th centuries. These sagas provide insights into the lives and adventures of prominent figures from the Viking Age and the early medieval period in Iceland.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Hansen. One of the most famous was Peter Andreas Hansen (1795-1874), a Danish astronomer and mathematician known for his contributions to celestial mechanics and the study of comets. Another prominent figure was Hans Christian Hansen (1803-1883), a Danish sculptor who created numerous works of art, including the famous Hercules and Hebe statue in Copenhagen.
In the realm of exploration, Godfred Hansen (1876-1937) was a Norwegian explorer who participated in several Antarctic expeditions, including Roald Amundsen's successful journey to the South Pole in 1911. Armin Hansen (1886-1957), on the other hand, was a German architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the reconstruction of Berlin after World War II.
More recently, James Hansen (born 1941) is an American scientist and climate activist who has made significant contributions to the study of global warming and its impact on the environment. His work has been instrumental in raising awareness about the urgent need for action to address climate change.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Hansen throughout history, showcasing its diverse cultural and geographical reach.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Hansen over time
The chart below shows babies named Hansen registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2004 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Hansen, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hansen by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Hansen was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4439 | 7 | 2 |
| 2010s | #4790 | 9 | 3 |
| 2000s | #3651 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Hansen
- Harry 141,693
- Henry 65,177
- Harrison 45,958
- Harvey 35,648
- Harley 22,095
- Hugo 18,779
- Hayden 12,622
- Hunter 10,350
- Hudson 9,104
- Hamza 8,564
- Hassan 5,982
- Hasan 3,599
FAQ
Hansen: questions and answers
How popular is the name Hansen in the UK right now?
In 2024, Hansen was ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Hansen most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 4 babies registered as Hansen in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Hansen?
A masculine Scandinavian name derived from the given name Hans or Johann, meaning "God is gracious".
How many people are called Hansen in the UK?
A total of 19 babies have been registered as Hansen across the 6 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.