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

Hanks, 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 Hanks surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hanks in America

Hanks is the 2066th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hanks surname appeared 17,498 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Hanks.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hanks 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 Hanks

The surname Hanks originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the male given name Han, a diminutive form of Johannes, which is the medieval English variation of John. The name Han was often combined with the diminutive suffix "-kin" to form Hankin or Hankins. Over time, this evolved into the surname Hanks.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Hanks can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, where it is listed as Hanekinus. This suggests that the name was already established in certain regions of England by the 13th century. Other early spellings include Hankyns, Hankyn, and Hankyn.

Historically, the surname Hanks was particularly prevalent in the counties of Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. It is believed that the name may have originated in these areas, as these counties have a high concentration of early records of individuals bearing the surname.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landowners in England, there are no direct mentions of the surname Hanks. However, the name Johannes, from which Hanks is derived, appears frequently throughout the record.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Hanks was John Hanks, who was born in Worcestershire around 1490. Another notable figure was Sir Michael Hanks, a wealthy merchant and alderman in London during the 16th century.

During the 17th century, the Hanks surname gained prominence with the birth of Benjamin Hanks (1644-1687), a prominent Quaker leader and author from Pennsylvania. His son, William Hanks (1668-1744), was a respected minister and helped establish several Quaker meetings in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

In the 18th century, John Hanks (1733-1806) served as a soldier in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Kentucky, where he became a respected frontier settler and farmer.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Hanks was Abraham Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks (1784-1818). Her family had roots in England, and she was born in Virginia before later moving to Kentucky.

Throughout history, the surname Hanks has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, religious leaders, soldiers, and pioneers. While the exact origins of the name may be difficult to pinpoint, its enduring presence in English and American history is a testament to its longevity and significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hanks

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

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

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

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