Hander last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Hander

A descriptive surname referring to someone who handled or traded goods or animals.

Hander, 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 Hander surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hander in America

Hander is the 124548th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hander surname appeared 138 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Hander.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hander 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 124548 122534 1.63%
Count 138 130 5.97%
Proportion per 100k 0.05 0.05 0.00%

The history of the last name Hander

The surname HANDER is of English origin, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire. The name is thought to be an occupational surname, derived from the Old English word "hand," meaning "hand" or "handler." This suggests that the original bearers of the name were likely involved in professions that required skilled handling, such as craftsmen, artisans, or even falconers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the HANDER surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century, where a certain Robert le Hander is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time and may have been adopted by individuals who worked with their hands or handled goods.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in various medieval records and documents, including the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, where a John le Haunder is listed. This variation in spelling, with the addition of the French "le" prefix, was common during the Norman influence on English surnames.

By the 14th century, the HANDER surname had spread to other parts of England, as evidenced by records from Somerset and Gloucestershire. A notable figure from this era was John Hander, a merchant and landowner from Bristol, who was born around 1370 and played a significant role in the city's trade and civic affairs.

In the 16th century, the HANDER surname continued to be found across various regions of England. One notable bearer of the name was William Hander, a renowned clockmaker from London, who was active in the late 1500s and is credited with creating some of the earliest pendulum clocks.

As the centuries progressed, the HANDER surname spread further afield, with bearers settling in other parts of the British Isles and eventually migrating to the New World. In the 18th century, a prominent figure was Samuel Hander, a Scottish physician and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of botany and explored the flora of the Scottish Highlands.

Another noteworthy individual was Elizabeth Hander, a British writer and poet who lived in the early 19th century. Her works, which often explored themes of nature and romanticism, were widely published and acclaimed during her lifetime.

In the realm of exploration, the HANDER surname is associated with James Hander, an English explorer and surveyor who accompanied several expeditions to the Arctic regions in the late 19th century. His detailed maps and accounts of the Arctic landscape and indigenous communities were invaluable contributions to the field of geography.

As the centuries passed, the HANDER surname continued to be represented across various fields and professions, with bearers making their mark in areas such as law, politics, arts, and academia. While the precise origins and earliest bearers may be lost to history, the surname HANDER remains a testament to the rich heritage and diverse backgrounds of those who have carried it through the ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hander

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

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 Hander was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 96.38% 133
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

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 Hander has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 96.38% 93.08% 3.48%
Black (S)% 3.85% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

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 Hander was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Hander last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on August 7, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/hander-surname-popularity/.

"Hander last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/hander-surname-popularity/. Accessed 7 August, 2025

Hander last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/hander-surname-popularity/.

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