Hansell last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Hansell

An English surname derived from the Middle English personal name Hansel, a diminutive of Hans.

Hansell, 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 Hansell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hansell in America

Hansell is the 16238th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hansell surname appeared 1,778 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Hansell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hansell 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 16238 15921 1.97%
Count 1,778 1,677 5.85%
Proportion per 100k 0.60 0.62 -3.28%

The history of the last name Hansell

The surname Hansell originated in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hana" meaning "cock" or "rooster" and "sele" meaning "hall" or "house". This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have been associated with a dwelling or estate where roosters were kept.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Haneshill". This entry refers to a landowner or tenant in the county of Gloucestershire. The name's evolution over time saw various spellings such as Haneshull, Hanshull, and eventually, the modern form of Hansell.

In the 13th century, records show a John Hansell who was a landowner in the village of Stoke Gifford, near Bristol. This village likely had a connection to the name's origins, as it was once known as "Haneshull" in the Domesday Book.

During the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Sir Ralph Hansell (1515-1587), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from London. He was known for his charitable works and endowments, including the founding of a school in his hometown of Harwich, Essex.

Another prominent individual was Sir John Hansell (1631-1698), a Member of Parliament for the borough of Launceston in Cornwall during the reign of King Charles II. He was a respected figure in local politics and served as Sheriff of Cornwall in 1685.

In the 18th century, the Hansell family established themselves as successful businessmen and landowners in the county of Wiltshire. One notable member was William Hansell (1738-1812), a wealthy cloth merchant who owned several mills and estates in the region.

During the 19th century, the name gained recognition through the achievements of individuals like James Hansell (1825-1902), a British architect and surveyor who worked on numerous projects, including the restoration of several historic churches in London.

It's worth noting that while the surname Hansell has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, the focus of this report is solely on the surname's origins and historical significance within the context of England and its early bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hansell

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

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 Hansell was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 86.84% 1,544
Non-Hispanic Black Only 5.79% 103
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.29% 23
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.79% 14
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.31% 41
Hispanic Origin 2.98% 53

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 Hansell has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 86.84% 87.78% -1.08%
Black 5.79% 6.80% -16.04%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.29% 1.37% -6.02%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.79% 0.95% -18.39%
Two or More Races 2.31% 0.95% 83.44%
Hispanic 2.98% 2.15% 32.36%

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

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

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"Hansell last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/hansell-surname-popularity/.

"Hansell last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/hansell-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Hansell last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/hansell-surname-popularity/.

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