2000
#10,434
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,829
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.05
Rare Last name
Hanshaw
Derived from a place name meaning "Hann's wood" or "Hann's thicket," referring to a person who lived there.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,995 Americans carry the last name Hanshaw. That puts it at #11,523 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 114,442 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hanshaw 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 Hanshaw with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 114,442
Census rank
#11,523
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,612 bearers of the surname Hanshaw in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11523rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hanshaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hanshaw
The surname Hanshaw has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place name that combined the Old English elements "hana" meaning "rock" or "stone" and "sceaga" meaning "small wood" or "thicket." This suggests that the name may have referred to a rocky wooded area or a settlement near such a location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where it appears as "Hansaghe." This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time. Other historical documents, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, mention individuals with the surname Hanshaw or its variants, indicating its presence in various regions of England.
In the 13th century, a Walter de Hanshawe was recorded in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire, providing evidence of the name's use during that period. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327 include a reference to a John Hanshaw, further solidifying the name's presence in different parts of the country.
Notably, the Hanshaw surname has been connected to several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was John Hanshaw (1753-1809), an American lawyer and politician from Virginia who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and later as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Joseph Hanshaw (1766-1836), an American farmer and Revolutionary War soldier from Pennsylvania. He fought in several battles during the war and later settled in Ohio, where he became a prominent figure in the local community.
In the literary realm, Thomas Hanshaw (1812-1885) was an English poet and author known for his works on rural life and nature. His collection of poems, "The Lays of a Lancashire Peasant," published in 1860, received critical acclaim and captured the essence of the countryside.
Moving forward in time, Elizabeth Hanshaw (1879-1951) was an American operatic soprano who performed with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. She was renowned for her interpretations of various roles and made significant contributions to the opera world in the early 20th century.
Another notable figure was Robert Hanshaw (1920-2002), an American businessman and philanthropist. He co-founded the Hanshaw Exploration Company, a successful oil and gas exploration firm, and later established the Hanshaw Foundation to support educational and charitable causes.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of individuals bearing the Hanshaw surname throughout history, reflecting the name's enduring presence across various fields and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hanshaw
Among Census respondents with the surname Hanshaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hanshaw 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 Hanshaw surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.2% · 2,278
- Black or African American5.2% · 136
- Two or more races3.8% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hanshaw
Hanshaw 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
#10,582
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,030
+201 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 148 places
2020
#11,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,612
-418 bearers (-13.8%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 941 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,434 | 2,829 | 1.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,582 | 3,030 | 1.03 | +201 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 148 places |
| 2020 | #11,523 | 2,612 | 0.87 | -418 bearers (-13.8%) | Down 941 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 Hanshaw 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 | #10,582 | #11,523 | -8.9% |
| Count | 3,030 | 2,612 | -13.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.03 | 0.87 | -15.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hanshaw bearers went from 3,030 to 2,612 (-13.8% change). The surname moved down 941 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,582 to #11,523.
FAQ
Hanshaw surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hanshaw?
Name Census estimates that about 2,995 living Americans carry the surname Hanshaw. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 114,442 residents.
How common is Hanshaw?
Hanshaw ranks #11,523 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.87 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 2,612 people with the surname Hanshaw. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,995), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.87 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 Hanshaw.
Has Hanshaw become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hanshaw went from 3,030 recorded bearers to 2,612. That is a decrease of 418 (-13.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,582 to #11,523.
What does the Census say about the background of Hanshaw?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hanshaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Hanshaw in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (2,278 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hanshaw appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.2%), Black (5.2%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Hanshaw (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 Hanshaw mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Hann's wood" or "Hann's thicket," referring to a person who lived there. 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 Hanshaw (0.87 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 Hanshaw?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.