NameCensus.

UK surname

Hanson

The son of Hans, a Scandinavian patronymic surname derived from the personal name Hans, a variant of Johannes.

In the 1881 census there were 9,652 people recorded with the Hanson surname, ranking it #445 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 13,171, ranked #490, down from #445 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Halifax and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Bradford and Calderdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hanson is 13,343 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.5%.

1881 census count

9,652

Ranked #445

Modern count

13,171

2016, ranked #490

Peak year

2014

13,343 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hanson had 9,652 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #445 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 13,171 in 2016, ranked #490.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 12,845 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Hanson surname distribution map

The map shows where the Hanson surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Hanson surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Hanson over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 5,876 #475
1861 historical 6,396 #436
1881 historical 9,652 #445
1891 historical 9,956 #441
1901 historical 11,367 #462
1911 historical 12,845 #380
1997 modern 12,788 #476
1998 modern 13,166 #481
1999 modern 13,293 #480
2000 modern 13,133 #483
2001 modern 12,770 #485
2002 modern 13,056 #484
2003 modern 12,738 #485
2004 modern 12,652 #486
2005 modern 12,425 #492
2006 modern 12,493 #488
2007 modern 12,593 #490
2008 modern 12,715 #490
2009 modern 13,094 #489
2010 modern 13,327 #488
2011 modern 13,093 #490
2012 modern 12,912 #491
2013 modern 13,251 #491
2014 modern 13,343 #491
2015 modern 13,239 #489
2016 modern 13,171 #490

Geography

Back to top

Where Hansons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Halifax, London parishes, Bradford and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, Bradford, Calderdale and Barnsley. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 011 Kirklees
2 Bradford 004 Bradford
3 Calderdale 025 Calderdale
4 Bradford 002 Bradford
5 Barnsley 020 Barnsley

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Hanson

These lists show first names that appear often with the Hanson surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Hanson

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hanson, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Hanson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hanson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hanson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hanson is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hanson falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hanson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Hanson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hanson

The surname Hanson originated in Scandinavia, specifically Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It is a patronymic name, meaning it was derived from the father's given name, Hans, which was a common Scandinavian variant of the name John. The suffix "-son" was added to denote "son of."

In medieval times, Scandinavian names often followed the pattern of a given name plus the patronymic suffix "-son" or "-datter" (daughter). This naming convention was widespread in the Viking Age and continued for centuries thereafter. The surname Hanson would have initially identified a person as the son of a man named Hans.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hanson can be found in the Icelandic Landnámabók (Book of Settlements), which dates back to the late 12th century. This text mentions a Norwegian settler named Hansson who arrived in Iceland during the 9th century.

Throughout the Middle Ages and into the early modern period, variations of the name Hanson appeared in various Scandinavian records and manuscripts. These included Hanssen, Hansson, and Hansøn, reflecting regional spelling differences.

Notable individuals with the surname Hanson include Hans Hansson (1529-1610), a Swedish merchant and politician who served as the Mayor of Stockholm. In Norway, there was Peder Hansson (1542-1619), a Lutheran priest and writer known for his translations of religious texts into Norwegian.

Another significant figure was Mårten Hansson (1645-1717), a Swedish military officer who played a crucial role in the Great Northern War against Denmark and Russia. He was awarded the title of Count by King Charles XII for his service.

In the 19th century, Hans Hansson (1823-1901) was a Swedish botanist and horticulturist who made significant contributions to the study of flora in Scandinavia and introduced several new plant species.

As Scandinavian immigrants began settling in other parts of the world, particularly the United States and Canada, the surname Hanson became more widespread. It is now a common surname in many English-speaking countries with Scandinavian heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Hanson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hanson surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 4,381 Hansons recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.69x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 4,381 4.69x
Lancashire 1,664 1.49x
Middlesex 538 0.57x
Warwickshire 435 1.83x
Durham 288 1.03x
Lincolnshire 279 1.85x
Derbyshire 241 1.63x
Surrey 192 0.42x
Nottinghamshire 189 1.49x
Cheshire 184 0.88x
Staffordshire 181 0.57x
Worcestershire 149 1.21x
Kent 109 0.34x
Berkshire 78 1.10x
Shropshire 65 0.80x
Glamorgan 64 0.39x
Lanarkshire 64 0.21x
Gloucestershire 45 0.24x
Essex 43 0.23x
Leicestershire 43 0.41x
Hampshire 42 0.22x
Devon 40 0.20x
Midlothian 37 0.29x
Buckinghamshire 28 0.49x
Renfrewshire 28 0.38x
Northumberland 26 0.19x
Cumberland 24 0.30x
Cornwall 23 0.22x
Sussex 21 0.13x
Northamptonshire 20 0.23x
Wiltshire 18 0.22x
Oxfordshire 14 0.24x
Westmorland 13 0.63x
Denbighshire 9 0.25x
Monmouthshire 9 0.13x
Dorset 8 0.13x
Isle of Man 7 0.40x
Norfolk 7 0.05x
Channel Islands 6 0.21x
Somerset 6 0.04x
Suffolk 6 0.05x
Aberdeenshire 5 0.06x
East Lothian 5 0.40x
Royal Navy 5 0.45x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.07x
Herefordshire 4 0.10x
Ayrshire 3 0.04x
Merionethshire 3 0.17x
Cardiganshire 2 0.09x
Hertfordshire 2 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.07x
Angus 1 0.01x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.03x
Fife 1 0.02x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.05x
Radnorshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Halifax in Yorkshire leads with 260 Hansons recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.96x.

Place Total Index
Halifax 260 18.96x
Birmingham 225 2.84x
Leeds 190 3.60x
Elland Cum Greetland 181 43.01x
Oldham 152 4.21x
Huddersfield 151 11.09x
Horton In Bradford 136 9.32x
Bradford 135 5.97x
North Bierley 121 23.99x
Northowram 114 17.40x
Keighley 108 10.85x
Aston 107 1.63x
Dewsbury 96 10.02x
Liverpool 96 1.41x
Brightside Bierlow 85 4.64x
Sowerby In Halifax 78 25.53x
Manchester 71 1.41x
Castleton 70 6.27x
Wyke In Bradford 63 37.71x
Bingley 62 10.42x
Lockwood 62 18.45x
Lambeth 61 0.74x
Sheffield 61 2.05x
Doncaster 60 8.79x
Manningham 60 5.21x
Clitheroe 57 17.31x
Salford 57 1.73x
Ashton Under Lyne 56 2.29x
Almondbury 54 11.95x
Cleckheaton 54 15.69x
Shoreditch London 54 1.32x
Longwood 51 33.87x
Bowling 48 5.19x
Kings Norton 48 4.35x
Shipley 48 9.90x
Toxteth Park 45 1.19x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 44 5.06x
St Pancras London 44 0.58x
Bury 42 3.29x
Bethnal Green London 41 1.00x
Gomersal 41 9.40x
Ovenden 41 9.86x
Burnley 40 4.25x
Newchurch 40 4.37x
Walsall Foreign 40 2.43x
Westoe 40 2.52x
Rastrick 38 14.64x
Liversedge 37 8.90x
Middlesbrough 37 3.04x
Wardleworth 37 5.79x
Mirfield 36 7.02x
Shelf 35 39.22x
Hunslet 34 2.33x
Dudley 33 2.20x
Saddleworth 33 4.58x
Blackburn 32 1.08x
Wortley In Bramley 32 4.32x
Ecclesfield 31 4.53x
Hatfield In Thorne 31 53.19x
Kildwick 31 36.44x
Lower Booths 31 15.47x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 31 9.29x
Rishton 31 23.62x
Warley 31 11.48x
Islington London 30 0.33x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 30 12.73x
Alvaston 29 68.97x
Sculcoates 29 1.96x
Soothill 29 8.59x
Wakefield 29 4.04x
Bishopwearmouth 28 1.16x
Govan 28 0.37x
Nether Hallam 28 2.22x
Derby St Werburgh 27 3.17x
Golcar 27 10.93x
Heap 27 4.55x
Holbeck 27 4.36x
Barony 26 0.34x
Cheetham 26 3.12x
Everton 26 0.73x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Hanson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 658
Sarah 408
Elizabeth 359
Ann 194
Jane 182
Emma 176
Hannah 168
Eliza 140
Alice 137
Annie 133
Martha 133
Ellen 128
Emily 101
Margaret 91
Ada 71
Harriet 69
Clara 62
Maria 60
Fanny 53
Edith 51
Charlotte 49
Louisa 43
Florence 41
Caroline 37
Esther 34
Anne 32
Catherine 31
Frances 30
Agnes 28
Rachel 28
Rebecca 28
Betsy 27
Amelia 26
Julia 26
Lucy 26
Susannah 26
Amy 25
Isabella 25
Gertrude 22
Kate 21
Sophia 21
Susan 21
Eleanor 18
Elizth. 18
Grace 18
Harriett 18
Matilda 18
Minnie 18
Nancy 17
Ruth 17

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Hanson surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 565
William 527
Thomas 341
George 322
James 261
Joseph 192
Charles 151
Henry 151
Edward 108
Samuel 94
Arthur 89
Richard 89
Alfred 77
Albert 73
Robert 68
Walter 66
Frederick 61
Fred 60
Harry 59
Herbert 40
Benjamin 37
Ernest 36
David 35
Edwin 33
Frank 31
Wm. 31
Tom 28
Joe 27
Isaac 23
Peter 22
Joshua 21
Abraham 19
Thos. 19
Sam 17
Willie 17
Christopher 14
Francis 14
Amos 11
Jesse 10
Andrew 9
Ben 9
Chas. 9
Daniel 9
Jacob 9
Jas. 9
Stephen 9
Edgar 8
Edmund 8
Eli 8
Fredrick 8

FAQ

Hanson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hanson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 9,652 people were recorded with the Hanson surname. That placed it at #445 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hanson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 13,171 in 2016. That gives Hanson a modern rank of #490.

What does the Hanson surname mean?

The son of Hans, a Scandinavian patronymic surname derived from the personal name Hans, a variant of Johannes.

What does the Hanson map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Hanson bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.