Clan Rising

Hansen

also Hanssen

Son of Hans, the Dano-Norwegian John.

Origin
Norwegian
Register
Norwegian family

The seat of Hansen

Seat vacant

Chief

No one leads the Hansen community yet. When the movement opens, you can stand for its leadership, or help elect whoever does.

Current mission

No shared goal set yet. Once Hansen has leadership, it sets the public focus: a restoration, a gathering, a real-world project that helps its own.

The Hansen clan is being rebuilt. Join the waiting list for the movement today, and you help decide who leads it and what it does.

Help rebuild the Hansen clan →

What does the Hansen name mean?

'Son of Hans', Hans being the short form of Johannes, John. The single -sen ('son') is the Dano-Norwegian patronymic, against the Swedish -sson. One of the commonest surnames of both Norway and Denmark.

The history of Hansen

Hans was the everyday John of Norway and Denmark, and its son Hansen sits at the very top of both countries' registers, the two kingdoms shared a crown for four centuries, and they share their commonest patronymics still. The single -sen, against Sweden's doubled -sson, is the spelling that tells a Norwegian or Danish name from its Swedish cousin at a glance.

Also found in

The Hansen name has substantial historical presence beyond Norwegian. See it on Danish.

Play As Your Clan

Explore history as a HansenStart your story →

Hold a real castle against whatever you choose to send at it, take a ship out in her own service years, or stand at the shoulder of someone the record remembers. The chronicler sets the scene; the deeds are yours.

Frequently asked

What does the surname Hansen mean?

'Son of Hans', Hans being the short form of Johannes, John. The single -sen ('son') is the Dano-Norwegian patronymic, against the Swedish -sson. One of the commonest surnames of both Norway and Denmark. Hans was the everyday John of Norway and Denmark, and its son Hansen sits at the very top of both countries' registers, the two kingdoms shared a crown for four centuries, and they share their commonest patronymics still.

Is Hansen Norwegian or Danish?

Hansen is a Norwegian surname; its home on this atlas is Norwegian, where the historical territory and family record of the name are concentrated. The name also has a substantial historical presence in Danish, cross-linked on the page under "Also found in", but the record is densest in Norwegian.

How old is the Hansen surname?

Hans was the everyday John of Norway and Denmark, and its son Hansen sits at the very top of both countries' registers, the two kingdoms shared a crown for four centuries, and they share their commonest patronymics still. European hereditary surnames crystallised broadly between the 12th and 14th centuries, and the Hansen name took its modern form within that long settlement.

What is the Hansen family known for?

Son of Hans, the Dano-Norwegian John. Hans was the everyday John of Norway and Denmark, and its son Hansen sits at the very top of both countries' registers, the two kingdoms shared a crown for four centuries, and they share their commonest patronymics still.

Is there a Hansen family crest or coat of arms?

There is no single coat of arms that belongs to everyone named Hansen. Heraldic arms were granted to individuals and descend through specific documented lines, so a "family crest" matched to a surname alone is decorative rather than genealogical.

Is Hanssen the same family as Hansen?

Yes. Hanssen is a historical spelling variant of the Hansen name. The two share the same lineage and family affiliation; different parishes, clerks and migration registrars recorded the same name in slightly different forms, and the variant spellings sit on the same family tree.

Where is the Hansen surname found today?

Norwegian is the primary historical home of the Hansen surname. In the modern era, the name is also borne across the wider diaspora, particularly in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where families carry the line of descent from the same Norwegian origin recorded on this page.

What does the Clan Rising page for the Hansen family cover?

The Clan Rising page for the Hansen family covers the meaning of the surname, the historical geography of the name and the seat of the head of the family. Each section is linked to the underlying atlas of Norwegian so the name can be read in the geography that shaped it.

Who is the head of the Hansen family today?

The seat for the head of the Hansen family is currently vacant on this register. Clan Rising is rebuilding the chief and family structure for the modern era, and the family page allows readers to claim the seat or pledge to the name.