2000
#13,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,084
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Hanlin
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó hÁinle, meaning "descendant of Áinle," a personal name of unknown meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,295 Americans carry the last name Hanlin. That puts it at #14,387 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,348 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hanlin 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Hanlin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 149,348
Census rank
#14,387
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,001 bearers of the surname Hanlin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14387th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hanlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hanlin
The surname Hanlin originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "han" meaning "rock" and "lin" meaning "hill" or "ridge." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived near a rocky hill or ridge.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the Hanlin surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Hanlyn" in this historical document, indicating its presence in England during the 11th century.
In the 13th century, records show a John de Hanlyn, who was a landowner in Oxfordshire, England. This early spelling variation, "de Hanlyn," signifies that the name was associated with a specific place or location, as was common during that era.
In the 16th century, the Hanlin surname appeared in various church records and parish registers across England. One notable individual from this period was William Hanlin (c. 1525-1590), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London.
During the 17th century, the Hanlin name was found in several parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Gloucestershire. A notable figure from this time was John Hanlin (1622-1689), a Baptist minister and author who wrote extensively on religious matters.
In the 18th century, the Hanlin surname continued to be present in various regions of England. One notable individual was Sir Thomas Hanlin (1732-1805), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and later became an admiral in the Royal Navy.
As the Hanlin surname spread across England over the centuries, it underwent various spelling variations, including Hanlyn, Hanlen, and Hanland, among others. These variations often reflected regional dialects and pronunciation differences.
It's important to note that while the surname Hanlin has its origins in England, it has since been adopted and carried by individuals in various parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hanlin
Among Census respondents with the surname Hanlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hanlin 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 Hanlin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 1,870
- Two or more races2.8% · 56
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hanlin
Hanlin appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#13,696
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,211
+127 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 296 places
2020
#14,387
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,001
-210 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 691 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,400 | 2,084 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,696 | 2,211 | 0.75 | +127 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 296 places |
| 2020 | #14,387 | 2,001 | 0.67 | -210 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 691 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 Hanlin 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 | #13,696 | #14,387 | -5.0% |
| Count | 2,211 | 2,001 | -9.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.67 | -10.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hanlin bearers went from 2,211 to 2,001 (-9.5% change). The surname moved down 691 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,696 to #14,387.
FAQ
Hanlin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hanlin?
Name Census estimates that about 2,295 living Americans carry the surname Hanlin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 149,348 residents.
How common is Hanlin?
Hanlin ranks #14,387 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,001 people with the surname Hanlin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,295), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hanlin.
Has Hanlin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hanlin went from 2,211 recorded bearers to 2,001. That is a decrease of 210 (-9.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,696 to #14,387.
What does the Census say about the background of Hanlin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hanlin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Hanlin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (1,870 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hanlin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Hanlin (2000, 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 Hanlin mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó hÁinle, meaning "descendant of Áinle," a personal name of unknown meaning. 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 Hanlin (0.67 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 Hanlin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.