2000
#73,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 244
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Hanz
A surname originating from the Germanic personal name Hans, a diminutive of Johannes.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 326 Americans carry the last name Hanz. That puts it at #73,555 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,051,394 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hanz 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
326
1 in 1,051,394
Census rank
#73,555
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
284
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 284 bearers of the surname Hanz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 73555th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hanz, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.3%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hanz
The surname Hanz is of German origin, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the personal name Hans, which was a shortened form of the Germanic name Johannes, meaning "God is gracious."
In its early years, the name Hanz was primarily concentrated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it was often associated with individuals engaged in various trades and professions. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in church records and tax registers from these areas, with variations in spelling such as Hanz, Hanns, and Hannz.
One of the earliest known references to the name Hanz can be traced back to a 16th-century manuscript from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a certain Johannes Hanz was mentioned as a prominent merchant and landowner. This document provides valuable insights into the name's usage during that period.
As the name spread across Germany and beyond, it gained recognition through various notable individuals. One such figure was Johann Hanz, a renowned clockmaker from Nuremberg, who lived in the late 17th century and was renowned for his intricate and precise timepieces.
In the realm of literature, the name Hanz gained prominence through the works of the German Romantic poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who featured a character named Hanz in his play "Faust." This literary reference has contributed to the name's enduring legacy.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Hanz was Friedrich Hanz, a 19th-century German architect who played a significant role in the design and construction of several iconic buildings in Berlin, including the Reichstag building.
During the 19th century, the name Hanz also found its way to other parts of Europe, with individuals bearing the surname settling in countries like Austria, Switzerland, and even as far as Russia. One such example is Nikolai Hanz, a Russian military officer who fought in the Crimean War and later became a respected strategist.
While the surname Hanz has its roots in Germany, it has since become a part of the cultural tapestry of many regions, with individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields throughout history, from commerce and craftsmanship to literature and architecture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hanz
Among Census respondents with the surname Hanz, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.3%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Hanz 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 Hanz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.2% · 225
- Hispanic or Latino11.3% · 32
- Two or more races5.3% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.2% · 9
- Black or African American0.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hanz
Hanz 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
#82,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 229
-15 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 8,386 places
2020
#73,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 284
+55 bearers (+24.0%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 8,762 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #73,931 | 244 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #82,317 | 229 | 0.08 | -15 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 8,386 places |
| 2020 | #73,555 | 284 | 0.10 | +55 bearers (+24.0%) | Up 8,762 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 Hanz 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 | #82,317 | #73,555 | 10.6% |
| Count | 229 | 284 | 24.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.10 | 18.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hanz bearers went from 229 to 284 (+24.0% change). The surname moved up 8,762 positions in the national ranking, going from #82,317 to #73,555.
FAQ
Hanz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hanz?
Name Census estimates that about 326 living Americans carry the surname Hanz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,051,394 residents.
How common is Hanz?
Hanz ranks #73,555 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 284 people with the surname Hanz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (326), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Hanz.
Has Hanz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hanz went from 229 recorded bearers to 284. That is an increase of 55 (+24.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #82,317 to #73,555.
What does the Census say about the background of Hanz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hanz, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.3%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Hanz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.2% (225 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hanz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.2%), Hispanic (11.3%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Hanz (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 Hanz mean?
A surname originating from the Germanic personal name Hans, a diminutive of Johannes. 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 Hanz (0.10 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 have the last name Hanz?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Hanz? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.