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

Hanover, 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 Hanover surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hanover in America

Hanover is the 20949th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hanover surname appeared 1,257 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 Hanover.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hanover 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 Hanover

The surname Hanover originated in the region of northwestern Germany known as Lower Saxony. It is derived from the German place name Hannover, which is believed to come from the Old Saxon word "Hanovordi" or "Honovere," meaning a high or raised bank on the River Leine.

The name Hanover first appears in historical records from the 12th century, with references to the town of Hanover and the ruling House of Hanover. In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are no listings for the name Hanover, as it was not an English surname at that time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Hanover was Ernst August, Elector of Hanover, who was born in 1629 and died in 1698. He was the first monarch of the Hanoverian line and played a significant role in the formation of the Kingdom of Hanover.

Another notable figure associated with the name was King George I of Great Britain, born Georg Ludwig von Hannover in 1660. He was the first monarch of the House of Hanover to rule over the British kingdoms after the Act of Settlement in 1701.

During the 18th century, the name Hanover became more widely known due to the influence of the Hanoverian monarchs in Britain. One notable bearer of the name was Sir William Herschel, the German-born British astronomer who discovered the planet Uranus in 1781.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the Hanover surname was Princess Caroline of Hanover, born in 1768 and died in 1821. She was the wife of Prince William, Duke of Clarence, who later became King William IV of the United Kingdom.

Throughout history, there have been several other notable individuals with the surname Hanover, including military leaders, politicians, and intellectuals. The name continues to be associated with its German roots and the historical significance of the House of Hanover.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hanover

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

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

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

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