Find out how popular the last name Hand is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Hand.

Hand, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Hand surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hand in America

Hand is the 1639th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hand surname appeared 22,006 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Hand.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hand to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Hand

The surname HAND has its origins in the English language, deriving from the Old English word "hand," meaning quite literally the part of the body at the end of the arm. It is believed to have emerged as a surname during the late 12th century, initially used as a descriptive name for someone with notable or distinctive hands, perhaps large or skilled hands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname HAND can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, England, from the year 1194, which mentions a Thomas Hand. This suggests the surname was already established in certain regions of England by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the surname HAND appears in various records, such as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists a Robert le Hand in Oxfordshire. The prefix "le" was commonly used to distinguish surnames during this period.

The surname HAND has also been linked to certain place names, such as Handsworth, a town in the West Midlands of England. This place name is derived from the Old English words "hand" and "worth," meaning an enclosed settlement or farm belonging to someone named Hand.

One notable figure bearing the surname HAND was Sir John Hand (c. 1470 - c. 1545), an English politician and member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. He served as Sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire in 1532.

Another historical figure of note was Thomas Hand (1597 - 1662), an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Magdalen College, Oxford, from 1657 until his death.

In the 17th century, the HAND surname was present in the American colonies, with records showing individuals such as John Hand (c. 1615 - 1706), a settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony, and Daniel Hand (1649 - 1721), a Connecticut landowner and magistrate.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname in Scotland was that of Robert Hand, born in Aberdeen in 1646. He later became a minister and professor of philosophy at the University of Edinburgh.

In Ireland, the HAND surname has been traced back to the 16th century, with records mentioning individuals such as Nicholas Hand, born in Dublin in 1588, who was a merchant and alderman in the city.

Throughout history, the HAND surname has been prominently represented across various fields, including politics, religion, academia, and business, with individuals bearing this name leaving their mark on numerous communities and societies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hand

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Hand.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Hand was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Hand has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Hand was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Hand, please contact us.

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