2000
#2,841
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,578
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.29
Uncommon Last name
Hannon
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó hAnnáin," meaning "descendant of Annán," a personal name of unknown meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,744 Americans carry the last name Hannon. That puts it at #3,171 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,895 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hannon 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 Hannon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,895
Census rank
#3,171
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,113 bearers of the surname Hannon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3171st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hannon, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hannon
The surname Hannon has its origins in Ireland, where it first emerged in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Irish Gaelic word "anann," which means "iniquity" or "misery." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone perceived as unfortunate or troubled.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Hannon surname was John Hannon, who was born in County Cork, Ireland, in the late 16th century. Records from the time indicate that he was a farmer and landowner in the area.
The Hannon name can also be found in historical records from the 17th and 18th centuries, particularly in the counties of Cork, Limerick, and Tipperary. For instance, the Cromwellian survey of Ireland, conducted in the 1650s, mentions several individuals with the surname Hannon, indicating their presence in various parts of the country.
A notable figure with the Hannon surname was Patrick Hannon (1798-1861), an Irish politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament for County Meath from 1832 to 1847. He was known for his advocacy of Catholic emancipation and reform in Ireland.
Another prominent individual was Michael Hannon (1832-1904), an Irish-American entrepreneur and philanthropist. He immigrated to the United States in the mid-19th century and became a successful businessman in Chicago, where he established the Hannon Planing Mill Company.
In the realm of literature, Mary Hannon (1905-1989) was an Irish poet and writer who published several collections of poetry, including "The Whitethorn" and "The Linden Tree." Her works often explored themes of nature, love, and Irish identity.
The Hannon surname has also been associated with certain place names in Ireland. For example, the townland of Hannonstown in County Offaly is believed to have derived its name from the Hannon family who once resided there.
While the Hannon name may have originated as a nickname, it has since evolved into a surname with a rich history and a strong presence in various parts of Ireland, as well as among Irish diaspora communities around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hannon
Among Census respondents with the surname Hannon, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hannon 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 Hannon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.3% · 9,258
- Black or African American8.8% · 980
- Two or more races3.7% · 409
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 351
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 62
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 53
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hannon
Hannon 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
#3,016
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,893
+315 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 4.03
Rank movement Down 175 places
2020
#3,171
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,113
-780 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 3.72
Rank movement Down 155 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,841 | 11,578 | 4.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,016 | 11,893 | 4.03 | +315 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 175 places |
| 2020 | #3,171 | 11,113 | 3.72 | -780 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 155 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 Hannon 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 | #3,016 | #3,171 | -5.1% |
| Count | 11,893 | 11,113 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.03 | 3.72 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hannon bearers went from 11,893 to 11,113 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 155 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,016 to #3,171.
FAQ
Hannon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hannon?
Name Census estimates that about 12,744 living Americans carry the surname Hannon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,895 residents.
How common is Hannon?
Hannon ranks #3,171 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.72 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,113 people with the surname Hannon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,744), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.72 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Hannon.
Has Hannon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hannon went from 11,893 recorded bearers to 11,113. That is a decrease of 780 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,016 to #3,171.
What does the Census say about the background of Hannon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hannon, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Black (8.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Hannon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.3% (9,258 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hannon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.3%), Black (8.8%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Hannon (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 Hannon mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó hAnnáin," meaning "descendant of Annán," 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 Hannon (3.72 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 Hannon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.