A 1880s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Hans since 1880
Babies named Hans per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1970, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Hans's real moment was 1885.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 253 |
| 1890s | 206 |
| 1900s | 174 |
| 1910s | 662 |
| 1920s | 741 |
| 1930s | 790 |
| 1940s | 535 |
| 1950s | 1,279 |
| 1960s | 2,333 |
| 1970s | 2,193 |
| 1980s | 1,871 |
| 1990s | 1,532 |
| 2000s | 1,181 |
| 2010s | 1,137 |
| 2020s | 790 |
Meaning & origin
Hans has a long history as a classic German and Scandinavian name, though its U.S. popularity peaked early: in 1885 it ranked highest, with 1 in 11699 boys named Hans in 2025. After a long period of decline, it has been rising again since 2012, reflecting a revival of vintage names. The name is most commonly found in states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Colorado, areas with strong German and Scandinavian heritage.
Hans is a German, Dutch, and Scandinavian short form of Johannes, the Latin form of Greek Ioannes, ultimately from Hebrew Yochanan, meaning 'Yahweh is gracious.' It emerged as an independent given name in the Middle Ages and has been widely used across Germanic and Nordic countries. Saint Hans (John the Baptist) is a notable religious figure associated with the name.
Where Hans is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Hans” around the world
Where Hans lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
10
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Hansi, HaJo
Sibling names for Hans
Names that share Hans's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Greta, Ingrid, Karin, Lena, Marta, Anneliese, Elsa, Frieda, Gretchen, Heidi, Marlene, Meta, Mitzi, Trudi, Amalie, Gretel, Heide, Ilse, Johanne, Liesel, Liesl, Marleen, Renate, Rudi, Dietra, Elsbeth, Else, Gerda, Grethel, Heidie, Hilde, Ilsa, Inge, Kathe, Liesa, Linde, Litzi, Luise, Marlis, Fritzi, Grettel, Hiedi, Hildy, Konni, Lis, Marga, Rheda, Trude, Marlies, Gunda, Haide, Hedi, Heidemarie, Ingri, Leisel, Liese
Brothers: Karl, Lars, Otto, Erik, Nils, Fritz, Josef, Kurt, Rudolph, Adolf, Armin, Erich, Franz, Klaus, Rommel, Dieter, Edel, Gunter, Gunther, Heinz, Helmuth, Jaeger, Jahn, Joh, Jurgen, Claus, Helmut, Ralf, Deitrich, Kleber, Sie, Willi
