2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Handschin
A German surname derived from the word "Hand" meaning "hand" and "Schin" meaning "shin".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Handschin. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Handschin surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Handschin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Handschin, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Handschin
The surname Handschin is of German origin, originating in the regions of Switzerland and southern Germany. It dates back to the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "Hand," meaning hand, and "Schein," meaning light or radiance. It may have originally referred to a person who worked with their hands, such as a craftsman or artisan, or someone who brought light or enlightenment to others.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Handschin can be found in a Swiss document from the late 14th century, which mentions a "Johannes Handschin" from the town of Lucerne. In the 15th century, the name appears in records from the city of Basel, with a "Hans Handschin" listed as a resident.
The Handschin surname is closely associated with the town of Zofingen in the Swiss canton of Aargau. In the 16th century, a prominent family bearing this name lived in Zofingen and played an influential role in the town's affairs. One notable member was Hans Rudolph Handschin (1521-1584), who served as a magistrate and town councilor.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Handschin family settled in the nearby town of Aarau, where they became successful merchants and businessmen. Johann Jakob Handschin (1637-1711) was a respected citizen of Aarau and served as a member of the town council.
As the Handschin family spread throughout Switzerland and southern Germany, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, such as Handschyn, Handschin, and Handschin. In the 18th century, a notable figure was Johann Jakob Handschin (1738-1809), a Swiss theologian and author who was born in Zofingen.
In the 19th century, the Handschin name gained prominence in the field of education. Johann Rudolf Handschin (1821-1896) was a Swiss educator and author who served as the headmaster of a prestigious school in Zurich. His son, Jacques Handschin (1886-1955), followed in his footsteps and became a renowned musicologist and professor at the University of Basel.
Throughout its history, the Handschin surname has been associated with various professions, including artisans, merchants, theologians, educators, and scholars. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, the name continues to be prevalent in Switzerland and parts of Germany today, with a rich cultural heritage and legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Handschin
Among Census respondents with the surname Handschin, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Handschin bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Handschin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.2% · 99
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Handschin
Handschin appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,842 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Up 4,842 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Handschin surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #158,432 | #153,590 | 3.1% |
| Count | 102 | 104 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Handschin bearers went from 102 to 104 (+2.0% change). The surname moved up 4,842 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #153,590.
FAQ
Handschin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Handschin?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Handschin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Handschin?
Handschin ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Handschin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Handschin.
Has Handschin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Handschin went from 102 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 2 (+2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Handschin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Handschin, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Handschin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Handschin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Handschin (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Handschin mean?
A German surname derived from the word "Hand" meaning "hand" and "Schin" meaning "shin". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Handschin (0.03 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Handschin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.