Hansen or Hanssen () is a

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

n patronymic surname, meaning ''son of Hans''. As of 2008, it is the third most common surname in

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

, shared by 4.3% of the population. As of 2000, ''Hansen'' is the single most common surname in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

, not counting spelling variations such as ''Hanssen'', which are also quite common. In the

Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...

''Hansen'' is the second most common surname, while in the North German

federal states A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governi ...

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sc ...

and

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

''Hansen'' is the third and fifth most common surname, respectively. In Sweden the parallel form is '' Hansson''. The frequent occurrences of Hansen as a surname outside

and

is due to

immigration Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, a ...

, though Nordic immigrants to

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

-speaking countries often anglicised their names to

Hanson Hanson or Hansson may refer to: People * Hanson (surname) * Hansson (surname) * Hanson (wrestler), ringname of an American professional wrestler Musical groups * Hanson (band), an American pop rock band * Hanson (UK band), an English rock ...

in order to accommodate English orthographic rules.

Geographical distribution

As of 2014, 33.5% of all known bearers of the surname ''Hansen'' were residents of

(frequency 1:28), 31.6% of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

(1:1,933), 10.5% of

(1:83), 10.2% of

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

(1:1,330), 2.3% of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

(1:2,658), 2.3% of Australia (1:1,773), 1.3% of Sweden (1:1,325) and 1.2% of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

(1:7,460). In

, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:28) in the following regions: * 1.

Region Zealand Region Zealand ( da, Region Sjælland) is the southernmost administrative region of Denmark, established on 1 January 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish Municipal Reform, which abolished the traditional counties ("amter") and set up five larger regi ...

(1:19) * 2.

Region of Southern Denmark The Region of Southern Denmark ( da, Region Syddanmark, ; german: Region Süddänemark, ; frr, Regiuun Syddanmark) is an administrative region of Denmark established on Monday 1 January 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish Municipal Reform, which ab ...

(1:22) In

, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:83) in the following regions:Hansen surname distribution
/ref> * 1. Northern Norway (1:35) * 2.

Svalbard and Jan Mayen Svalbard and Jan Mayen ( no, Svalbard og Jan Mayen, ISO 3166-1 alpha-2: SJ, ISO 3166-1 alpha-3: SJM, ISO 3166-1 numeric: 744) is a statistical designation defined by ISO 3166-1 for a collective grouping of two remote jurisdictions of Norway: ...

(1:42) * 3.

Eastern Norway Eastern Norway ( nb, Østlandet, nn, Austlandet) is the geographical region of the south-eastern part of Norway. It consists of the counties Vestfold og Telemark, Viken, Oslo and Innlandet. Eastern Norway is by far the most populous region ...

(1:79) * 4.

Southern Norway Southern Norway ( no, Sørlandet; lit. "The Southland") is the geographical region (''landsdel'') along the Skagerrak coast of southern Norway. The region is an informal description since it does not have any governmental function. It rough ...

(1:82)

Notable people

Notable people with the surname include:

Arts and entertainment

* Aime Hansen (born 1962), Estonian poet, writer, and artist *

Al Hansen Alfred Earl "Al" Hansen (5 October 1927 – 20 June 1995) was an American artist. He was a member of Fluxus, a movement that originated on an artists' collective around George Maciunas. He was the father of Andy Warhol protégé Bibbe Hans ...

(1927–1995), American artist *

Andrew Hansen Andrew John Hansen (born 18 September 1974) is an Australian comedian, musician and author, best known for being a member of satirical team The Chaser. As a member of The Chaser, Hansen's television work includes co-writing and starring in A ...

(born 1974), Australian comedian * Anna Hansen, Canadian chef *

Asta Hansen Asta Hansen (20 December 1914 – 21 October 1962) was a Danish stage and film actress. Asta Betty Hansen was born in Store Magleby to Grete Sofie (née Lundqvist) and Arthur Jørgen Hansen. She first acted in pantomimes and then in 1934 ...

(1914–1962), Danish stage and film actress * Beck Hansen, (born 1970), American alternative musician known as Beck * Betsy Hansen (dates unknown), woman who charged actor

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia ...

with statutory rape in 1942 * B. Andreas Bull-Hansen (born 1972), Norwegian fantasy writer and former championship weightlifter * Carl G. O. Hansen (1871–1960), Norwegian-American journalist, musician and author * Carl William Hansen (1872–1936), Danish author *

Chris Hansen Christopher Edward Hansen (born September 13, 1959) is an American television journalist and YouTube personality. He is known for his work on ''Dateline NBC'', in particular the former segment ''To Catch a Predator'', which revolved around catc ...

(born 1959), American journalist *

Christian Frederik Hansen Christian Frederik Hansen (29 February 1756 – 10 July 1845), known as C. F. Hansen, was the leading Danish architect between the late 18th century and the mid 19th century, and on account of his position at the Royal Danish Academy of Art (''D ...

(1756–1845), Danish architect * Constantin Hansen (1804–1880), Danish artist *

Courtney Hansen Courtney Hansen is an American television host/personality, syndicated columnist, published author, and former fashion model. Biography Courtney Hansen was born on October 2, 1974 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Gerald John "Jerry" and Constanc ...

(born 1974), American model and television personality * C. & V. Hansen (1906–2001 & 1900–1992), Danish comics authors * Dinah-Jane Hansen (born 1997), Singer of Female American group Fifth Harmony * David Hansen (born 1968), actor, director, and playwright * Derek Hansen (born 1944), Australian writer * Erhardine Adolphine Hansen (1815–1893), Danish actress * Erik Hansen (1927–2016), Danish architect * Erik Fosnes Hansen (born 1965), Norwegian author *

Gunnar Hansen Gunnar Milton Hansen (March 4, 1947 – November 7, 2015) was an Icelandic-born American actor and author best known for playing the mentally impaired cannibal Leatherface in '' The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' (1974). Early life Hansen was bo ...

(1947–2015), Icelandic-American actor * Ib Hansen, pseudonym of Austrian poet

H. C. Artmann Hans Carl Artmann (12 June 1921 – 4 December 2000), also known as Ib Hansen, was an Austrian poet and writer, most popular for his early poems written in Viennese language, Viennese (''med ana schwoazzn dintn'', 1958), which however, ne ...

(1921–2000) * Hans Matthison-Hansen, Danish organist and composer (1807-1890) * Johan Matthison-Hansen, (aka Gottfred) Danish organist and composer (1832-1909) *

Henriette Hansen Henriette Hansen may refer to: * Henriette Hansen (actress) (1814–1892), Norwegian stage actress, opera singer and ballet dancer * Henriette Hansen (cricketer), Danish cricketer * Henriette Hansen (handballer) (born 1998), Danish handball player ...

(1814–1892), Norwegian ballerina, singer and actor * Jerry Hansen (1927–2012), Ghanaian highlife musician * Joachim Hansen (1930–2007), German actor * Johannes Hansen (1903–1995), Danish sculptor * Joseph Hansen (1923–2004), author * Joseph Hansen (1842–1907), Belgian dancer *

Kai Hansen Kai Michael Hansen (born 17 January 1963) is a German musician who is the founder, lead guitarist and vocalist of power metal band Gamma Ray. He is also one of the co-founders of metal band Helloween, which he rejoined in 2016. He is a promine ...

(born 1963), German power metal musician * Karl Gustav Hansen (1914–2002), Danish silversmith, designer * Liane Hansen (1951-, American radio journalist and radio show host * Lisa M. Hansen, American producer, actress, assistant director, and writer * Lys Hansen (born 1936), Scottish artist *

Mary Hansen Mary Therese Hansen (1 November 1966 9 December 2002) was an Australian-born guitarist and singer. She joined the London-based avant-pop band Stereolab in 1992. As a member, Hansen recorded six studio albums from '' Transient Random-Noise Burs ...

(1966–2002), Australian guitarist and singer * Max Hansen (1897–1961), Danish singer * Peter Hansen (1921–2017), American actor * Ron Hansen (born 1947), American novelist, essayist, and professor

Politics

* Ann Hansen (born 1953), Canadian anarchist and bomber * Bernie Hansen (1944–2021), American politician in Chicago politics * Bertha Lee Hansen (1882-1966), American politician from Minnesota * Charles Robert Hansen (1909-2000), American businessman and politician from Minnesota * Clifford Hansen (1912–2009), American politician from Wyoming *

Colin Hansen Colin Hansen (born 1952) is a former provincial politician for the Canadian province of British Columbia from 1996 to 2013. Hansen's most recent cabinet position was Minister of Finance and Deputy Premier from June 10, 2009 to March 13, 2011. He ...

(born 1952), Canadian politician from British Columbia * Connor Hansen (1913–1987), American jurist from Wisconsin * Dave Hansen (born 1947), American politician from Wisconsin * Eva Kjer Hansen (born 1964), Danish politician * Flemming Hansen (1939–2021), Danish politician * George V. Hansen (1930–2014), American politician from Idaho *

Glenna Hansen Glenna F. Hansen (born August 10, 1956) is an Inuvialuit Canadian politician. She served as the commissioner of the Northwest Territories from March 31, 2000, to April 29, 2005. Early life Born in Aklavik, Northwest Territories, Canada, Hansen jo ...

(born 1956), Canadian Inuvialuit politician * Goeff Hansen (born 1959), American politician from Michigan *

H. C. Hansen Hans Christian Svane Hansen (8 November 1906 – 19 February 1960), often known as H. C. Hansen or simply H. C., was a Danish politician who served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 1955 until his death in 1960. A Social Democrat, Hansen served ...

(1906–1960), Danish Prime Minister (1955–1960) *

Hans Peter Hansen (politician) Hans Peter Hansen (1872–1953) was a Danish journalist and politician. He held various posts, including minister of defense and minister of finance. He was a member of the Social Democrats which he represented at the Parliament between 1913 and ...

(1872–1953), Danish journalist and politician *

Holger Hansen Holger Hansen (1929–2015) was a Danish politician, academic and jurist from Venstre who served as the minister of environment and minister of Greenland in the cabinet of Poul Hartling from 1973 to 1975. Trained as an agronomist, he received ...

(1929–2015), Danish politician and academic *

James V. Hansen James Vear Hansen (August 14, 1932 – November 14, 2018) was an American Republican politician from Utah, who was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1981 to 2003. Early life and education Hansen was born in Salt Lake C ...

(1932–2018), American politician from Utah * Jørgen Peder Hansen (1923–1994), Danish politician * Joseph Hansen (1910–1979), American

Trotskyist Trotskyism is the political ideology and branch of Marxism developed by Ukrainian-Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky and some other members of the Left Opposition and Fourth International. Trotsky self-identified as an orthodox Marxist, a ...

and leader of the American Socialist Workers Party * Merle Hansen (1919–2009), American farmer, Founder of the North American Farm Alliance *

Peter Hansen (UN) Peter Hansen (born 2 June 1941 in Aalborg), a Danish national, was commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from 1996 to 2005. Academic career After completing graduate and ...

(born 1941), Danish UN official * Robert W. Hansen (1911–1977), American jurist from Wisconsin * Ron Hansen (born 1943), Canadian politician from Ontario * Stephanie Hansen (born 1961), American politician from Delaware * Urban Hansen (1908–1986), Danish politician *

Victor Davis Hanson Victor Davis Hanson (born September 5, 1953) is an American commentator, classicist, and military historian. He has been a commentator on modern and ancient warfare and contemporary politics for ''The New York Times'', ''Wall Street Journal'', ...

(born 1953), American political commentator

Science

* Alvin Harvey Hansen (1887–1975) American economist *

Emil Christian Hansen Emil Christian Hansen (8 May 1842 – 27 August 1909) was a Danish mycologist and fermentation physiologist. Born in Ribe, he financed his education by writing novels. He was awarded a gold medal in 1876 for an essay on fungi, titled ''De dan ...

(1842–1910), Danish fermentation physiologist * Gerhard Armauer Hansen (1841–1912), Norwegian physician, discover of the cause of leprosy *

Hans Jacob Hansen Hans Jacob Hansen (10 August 1855 – 26 June 1936) was a Danish zoologist, known for his contributions to carcinology (the study of crustacea). He was born in Bellinge and died in Gentofte. He participated on the first year of the Ingolf expedi ...

(1855–1936), Danish zoologist * James E. Hansen (born 1941), American

climatologist Climatology (from Greek , ''klima'', "place, zone"; and , ''-logia'') or climate science is the scientific study of Earth's climate, typically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of at least 30 years. This modern field of study ...

* Julie Vinter Hansen (1890–1960), Danish astronomer *

Per Brinch Hansen Per Brinch Hansen (13 November 1938 – 31 July 2007) was a Danish-American computer scientist known for his work in operating systems, concurrent programming and parallel and distributed computing. Biography Early life and education Per B ...

(1938–2007), Danish computer scientist *

Peter Andreas Hansen Peter Andreas Hansen (born 8 December 1795, Tønder, Schleswig, Denmark; died 28 March 1874, Gotha, Thuringia, Germany) was a Danish-born German astronomer. Biography The son of a goldsmith, Hansen learned the trade of a watchmaker at Flensburg, ...

(1795–1874), Danish astronomer * Siegfried Hansen (1912–2002), Danish engineer * Thomas Blom Hansen (born 1958), Danish anthropologist * W.W. Hansen (1909–1949), American physicist

Sport

* Abraham Løkin Hansen (born 1959), Faroese footballer (né Hansen) * Adam Hansen (born 1981), Australian road cyclist * Adrian Hansen (born 1971), South African squash player *

Alan Hansen Alan David Hansen (born 13 June 1955) is a Scottish former footballer and BBC television football pundit. He played as a central defender for Partick Thistle, for the successful Liverpool team of the late 1970s and 1980s, and for the Scotl ...

(born 1955), Scottish footballer * Ashia Hansen (born 1971), British athlete, Olympic contestant * Bob Hansen (born 1961), American basketballer *

Brendan Hansen Brendan Joseph Hansen (born August 15, 1981) is an American former competition swimmer who specialized in breaststroke events. Hansen is a six-time Olympic medalist, and is also a former world record-holder in both the 100-meter and 200-meter ...

(born 1981), American swimmer * Chad Hansen (born 1995), American football player * Chase Hansen (born 1993), American football player *

Craig Hansen Craig Robert Hansen (born November 15, 1983) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates between 2005 and 2009. College career Hansen's collegiate career began at St. John's ...

(born 1983), American professional baseball player * Curt Hansen (born 1964), Danish chess grand master *

Dale Hansen Dale Eugene Hansen (born August 2, 1948) is an American sportscaster, who formerly worked as the weeknight sports anchor during the 10 pm newscasts on ABC's Dallas affiliate WFAA, who left the station on September 2, 2021. He formerly al ...

(born 1948), American sportscaster * Dave Hansen (born 1968), American baseball player * Einar Hansen (born 1988), Faroese soccer player * Eric Hansen (born 1992), Canadian chess player *

Erika Hansen Erika Marie Hansen (born March 9, 1970) is an American former competition swimmer and Pan Pacific Championships champion who represented the United States at the 1988 Summer Olympics and 1992 Summer Olympics. Pan Pacifics Hansen won a gold me ...

(born 1970), American swimmer * Fred Hansen (born 1940), 1964 Olympic Gold medalist and world record pole vaulter * Harrison Hansen (born 1985), British based New Zealand rugby league player * Jan Knobelauch Hansen (born 1971), Danish athlete, Olympic contestant * Jannik Hansen (born 1986), Danish Ice Hockey Player * Jerry Hansen (born 1936), a former racing driver * Joachim Hansen (born 1979), Norwegian Mixed martial artist *

Joan Hansen Joan Elizabeth Hansen (born July 18, 1958) is a retired long-distance runner from the United States, who represented her native country in the women's 3,000 metres at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, finishing in eighth place. H ...

(born 1958), American long-distance runner * John Hansen (1924–1990), Danish footballer * John Hansen (born 1950), Scottish footballer * Johnny Hansen (born 1943), Danish footballer * Kevin Hansen (born 1982), American indoor volleyball player * Lars Hanssen (chess player) (1903–1940), Norwegian chess player * Martin Lundgaard Hansen (born 1972), Danish badminton player, Olympic contestant * Niels Jørgen Hansen, Danish darts player * Niko Hansen (born 1994), Danish footballer * Nikolaj Hansen (born 1987), Danish footballer * Nikolaj Hansen (born 1993), Danish footballer * Paul Snow-Hansen (born 1990), New Zealand sailor * Per Joar Hansen (born 1965), Norwegian football coach * Phil Hansen (born 1968), American former football player *

Rasmus Grønborg Hansen Rasmus Grønborg Hansen (born 9 April 1986) is a retired Danish professional football defensive midfielder. After retiring After retiring at the end of the 2016/17 season, Hansen took an education in sports management and later worked in a com ...

(born 1986), Danish football (soccer) player *

Rick Hansen Richard Marvin Hansen (born August 26, 1957) is a Canadian track and field athlete (Paralympic Games), activist, and philanthropist for people with disabilities. Following a pickup truck crash at the age of 15, Hansen sustained a spinal cord ...

(born 1957), Canadian paraplegic athlete and humanitarian * Ron Hansen (born 1938), American professional baseball player *

Søren Hansen Søren Hansen (born 21 March 1974) is a Danish professional golfer. Hansen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He won the 1997 Danish Amateur Stroke Play Championship and turned professional later that year. Hansen collected his first professio ...

(born 1974), Danish professional golfer *

Stan Hansen John Stanley Hansen II (born August 29, 1949) is an American retired professional wrestler. Hansen is known for his stiff wrestling style, which he attributes to his poor eyesight. He is also known for his gimmick as a loud, violent cowboy who w ...

(born 1949), American professional wrestler * Steen Hansen Danish curler * Steve Hansen (born 1959), New Zealand rugby union football player and coach *

Sune Berg Hansen Sune Berg Hansen (born 21 April 1971) is a Danish chess grandmaster (chess), grandmaster. He is a seven-time Danish Chess Champion. Chess career Hansen earned his international master title in 1993 and his grandmaster (chess), grandmaster title ...

(born 1971), Danish chess player * Travis Hansen (born 1978), American Basketball Player * Trine Hansen (born 1973), Danish rower

Other

Elaine Tuttle Hansen Elaine Tuttle Hansen is an American academic administrator, scholar and university professor who served as the executive director of the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University from 2011 to 2018 and the 8th President of Bates Colle ...

, president of

Bates College Bates College () is a private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian Houses as some of the dormitories. It maintains of nature p ...

* Georg Emil Hansen (1833–1891), Danish photographer * Georg Hansen (1904–1944), German army officer * Gesa Hansen (born 1981), German-Danish designer *

Gus Hansen Gustav Hansen (born 13 February 1974) is a Danish professional poker player from Copenhagen, Denmark who has lived in Monaco since 2003. In his poker career, Hansen has won three World Poker Tour open titles, one WSOP bracelet and the 2007 Aus ...

(born 1974), Danish professional poker player * Helmer Hanssen (1870–1956), Norwegian polar explorer * Jake Hansen (disambiguation), multiple people * John Hansen (born 1945), retired New Zealand judge * Jörmundur Ingi Hansen (born 1940), Icelandic neopagan leader and clothing retailer *

Lars Peter Hansen Lars Peter Hansen (born 26 October 1952 in Urbana, Illinois) is an American economist. He is the David Rockefeller Distinguished Service Professor in Economics, Statistics, and the Booth School of Business, at the University of Chicago and a ...

(born 1952), American economist and econometrician * Matthew Hansen, Canadian screenwriter, author and editor * Max Hansen (1908–1990), SS officer * Monica Hansen, Norwegian model * Percy Hansen (1890–1951), Danish recipient of the Victoria Cross * Robert Hanssen (born 1944), American FBI agent convicted of spying for Russia *

Sig Hansen Sigurd Jonny Hansen (born April 28, 1966) is an American captain of the fishing vessel '' F/V Northwestern'', and'' M/S Stålbas''. Since 2005, Hansen has been featured in each season of the documentary television series ''Deadliest Catch'', ser ...

(born 1966), American Captain of the Seattle-based crab fishing boat Northwestern, featured in the documentary '' Deadliest Catch'' * Theodore Marcus Hansen (1886–1973), Danish-American pastor, theologian, and churchman *

Theophil Freiherr von Hansen Baron Theophil Edvard von Hansen (; original Danish name: Theophilus Hansen ; 13 July 1813 – 17 February 1891) was a Danish architect who later became an Austrian citizen. He became particularly well known for his buildings and structures in ...

(1813–1891), Danish-Austrian architect