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Hanson Family History

Hanson Surname Meaning

English (Yorkshire and Lancashire): from the Middle English personal name Hann or Hand + son; see Hand 5.

Irish: variant of Hampson.

Americanized form (and a rare Swedish variant) of Swedish Hansson.

Americanized form of Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, or North German Hansen and Hanssen.

Jewish (Ashkenazic): metronymic from the female personal name Hanna 6.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Hanson family from?

You can see how Hanson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hanson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hanson families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 122 Hanson families living in Maine. This was about 22% of all the recorded Hanson's in USA. Maine had the highest population of Hanson families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hanson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Hanson ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Hanson. 19% of Hanson men worked as a Farmer and 7% of Hanson women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Hanson were Carpenter and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Hanson | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    19%
  • Laborer
    11%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Carpenter
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    7%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Maid
    6%
  • Housekeeper
    6%

What Hanson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 840,000 census records available for the last name Hanson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hanson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Hanson

Passenger Lists

There are 120,000 immigration records available for the last name Hanson. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Hanson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 109,000 military records available for the last name Hanson. For the veterans among your Hanson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Hanson military records

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