UK boy's name
Hanson
Of Old Norse origin, meaning "son of Hans".
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.
Hanson is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Hanson popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3688, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 8 births.
This profile covers 90 England and Wales registrations across 18 recorded years from 2001 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.
The latest count is about 63% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 89 living people in the UK are called Hanson. 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
- • Hanson ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2015, when 8 boys were registered as Hanson.
- • About 89 living people in the UK are estimated to have Hanson as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3688
2024
Births in 2024
5
Latest year
Peak year
2015
8 births
Estimated living
89
2026
Meaning
What does Hanson mean?
The name Hanson is of English origin, derived from the surname Hanson, which means "son of Han." The name Han is a diminutive form of the Old English name Hanhah, which is derived from the Germanic root "hana," meaning "rooster" or "cock."
The earliest recorded use of the name Hanson as a first name dates back to the 13th century in England. It was initially a patronymic surname used to identify the son of a man named Han. Over time, the surname Hanson evolved into a given name, particularly in areas where English culture and language had a strong influence.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Hanson can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name Hanson appears in this historical document, suggesting its use during the medieval period.
Notable historical figures with the first name Hanson include Hanson Gregory, an American lawyer and politician who served as the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut from 1854 to 1857. Another prominent individual was Hanson Hoslett, an English clergyman and academic who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries (1759-1829).
In the field of literature, Hanson Weightman Baldwin (1789-1864) was an American writer and educator who published several works on geography and history. Hanson Hurlbert (1835-1888) was an American journalist and diplomat who served as the United States Minister to Colombia from 1869 to 1873.
One of the most famous individuals with the first name Hanson was Hanson Edward Ely (1836-1916), an American businessman and inventor who is credited with developing the first practical revolving flat door for buildings, known as the "Ely Revolving Door."
While the name Hanson has its roots in English culture and history, it has since gained popularity in various parts of the world, particularly in regions with strong English-speaking communities or those influenced by British culture.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Hanson over time
The chart below shows babies named Hanson registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2001 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 Hanson, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 8 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hanson by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Hanson 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 | #3157 | 24 | 4 |
| 2010s | #3501 | 51 | 10 |
| 2000s | #3575 | 15 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Hanson
- 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
Hanson: questions and answers
How popular is the name Hanson in the UK right now?
In 2024, Hanson was ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Hanson most popular?
The peak year on record was 2015, with 8 babies registered as Hanson in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Hanson?
Of Old Norse origin, meaning "son of Hans".
How many people are called Hanson in the UK?
A total of 90 babies have been registered as Hanson across the 18 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.