2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hanright
A variant of the English surname "Handwright", referring to a craftsman or woodworker who made handles or tools.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Hanright. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hanright 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.
Bearers in the US
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Hanright in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hanright, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hanright
The surname HANRIGHT is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be derived from a combination of the Old English words "hana" (meaning "cock" or "rooster") and "riht" (meaning "right" or "straight"). This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a path or road frequented by roosters.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HANRIGHT appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a person named Robert Hanriht is mentioned. These rolls were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, lending credence to the antiquity of the surname.
The HANRIGHT name can be found scattered throughout various medieval records, including the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1279, which reference a William Hanryght. This particular document was a census-like survey of landowners and their holdings, providing insight into the geographical distribution of the name during that era.
In the 15th century, the HANRIGHT name appears to have been concentrated in the counties of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. John Hanryght, born around 1420 in Louth, Lincolnshire, is one notable figure from this time period. He was a prominent merchant and landowner whose wealth and influence allowed him to serve as a magistrate and alderman in his local community.
Another historical figure bearing the HANRIGHT name was Richard Hanright, born in 1562 in York, Yorkshire. He was a respected scholar and theologian who authored several treatises on religious subjects and served as a rector in the Church of England.
Moving into the 17th century, we find Thomas Hanright, born in 1612 in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. He was a successful businessman and landowner who played a significant role in the local government and economy of his hometown.
In the 18th century, the HANRIGHT name gained prominence with the birth of Sir William Hanright in 1738 in Stamford, Lincolnshire. He was a highly decorated military officer who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War and later became a Member of Parliament.
Finally, one of the most notable figures with the HANRIGHT surname was Elizabeth Hanright, born in 1805 in Hull, Yorkshire. She was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, founding several schools and authoring influential works on the importance of education for girls and women.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hanright
Among Census respondents with the surname Hanright, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hanright 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 Hanright surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hanright
Hanright 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+12 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,649 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-14 bearers (-10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,418 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 1,649 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.8%) | Down 14,418 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 Hanright 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 | #130,610 | #145,028 | -11.0% |
| Count | 130 | 116 | -10.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hanright bearers went from 130 to 116 (-10.8% change). The surname moved down 14,418 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #145,028.
FAQ
Hanright surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hanright?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Hanright. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Hanright?
Hanright ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116 people with the surname Hanright. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Hanright.
Has Hanright become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hanright went from 130 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 14 (-10.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Hanright?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hanright, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Hanright in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hanright appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Hispanic (1.7%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Hanright (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 Hanright mean?
A variant of the English surname "Handwright", referring to a craftsman or woodworker who made handles or tools. 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 Hanright (0.04 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 are called Hanright?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Hanright on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.