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

Hanifen, 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 Hanifen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hanifen in America

Hanifen is the 104156th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hanifen surname appeared 172 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 Hanifen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hanifen 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 Hanifen

The surname Hanifen is of Irish origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval Gaelic kingdom of Ulster in the northern part of Ireland. It is believed to have evolved from the Gaelic personal name "O'hAnaigh," which means "descendant of Anaidh."

Anaidh was a relatively common personal name in medieval Ireland, particularly in the Ulster region. The name itself is derived from the Old Irish word "anach," meaning "wealthy" or "prosperous." Over time, the prefix "O'" (meaning "descendant of") was added to the name, forming "O'hAnaigh."

The earliest known mention of the Hanifen surname appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals record a notable figure named Donnell O'Hanaigh, who lived in the 14th century and was a member of a prominent Ulster family.

As the surname evolved over the centuries, various spelling variations emerged, including Hanifin, Hanafin, Hanafy, and Hannafy. These variations reflect the challenges of transcribing Gaelic names into English and the influence of regional dialects and accents.

One notable bearer of the Hanifen surname was Michael Hanafin (1859-1932), an Irish politician who served as a member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for the North Louth constituency from 1900 to 1918.

Another notable figure was Patrick Hanafin (1888-1943), an Irish revolutionary and member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921). He played a significant role in the guerrilla campaign against British rule in Ireland.

In the literary world, the name was borne by John Hanifen (1829-1888), an Irish-American writer and journalist who worked for various publications in New York City during the 19th century.

Moving to more recent times, Edward Hanifen (1892-1965) was a U.S. Army officer who served in World War I and later became a military historian and author, writing several books on military history and strategy.

Finally, John Hanafin (born 1957) is an Australian politician who served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Council from 1999 to 2014, representing the Labor Party.

While the Hanifen surname may not be as widely known as some other Irish surnames, it carries a rich history and legacy, reflecting the cultural and linguistic traditions of medieval Ireland and the resilience of those who bore this name throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hanifen

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

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

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

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