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

Hanger, 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 Hanger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hanger in America

Hanger is the 14119th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hanger surname appeared 2,128 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Hanger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hanger 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 Hanger

The surname HANGER originated in England and is thought to have derived from the Old English words "hangere" or "hangra", meaning someone who hanged people or worked as a public executioner. The name dates back to the 13th century and was initially found in Yorkshire and other northern regions of England.

One of the earliest known records of the HANGER surname is from the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297, where a William le Hangere is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, referencing a John le Hangere. These early references suggest the occupation of an executioner or hangman was already well-established by the medieval period.

The HANGER surname is believed to have evolved from various place names, such as Hanger Hill in Worcestershire and Hanger in Hampshire. These locations likely derived their names from the Old English word "hangra", meaning a wooded slope or hanging wood. Some early spellings of the surname include Hanger, Hangere, Hangere, and Hangier.

One notable individual with the HANGER surname was Sir Ralph Hanger (c. 1564-1643), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Taunton in the early 17th century. Another historical figure was William Hanger (1738-1789), a British army officer who gained notoriety for his eccentric behavior and extravagant lifestyle.

Other prominent individuals with the HANGER surname include George Hanger (1751-1824), an English writer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire, and John Hanger (1819-1892), an English architect known for designing several churches and public buildings in the Victorian era.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the HANGER surname dates back to the 17th century, with the arrival of Thomas Hanger in Virginia in 1635. The name has since spread across various regions of the country, with notable individuals such as Colonel Henry Hanger (1786-1857), a military officer who served in the War of 1812.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hanger

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

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

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

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