Hance
A surname that usually began as a short form of Hans, the medieval form of John, though some bearers may descend from other similar-sounding names.
The #7,466 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 69,163 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hance is generally explained as a shortened form of Hans, the medieval form of John used in Germanic and English-speaking areas. In that sense, it ultimately traces back to the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning 'God is gracious.' Some 19th-century writers also treated Hance as part of a wider family of nickname and sound-shift spellings built from Hans/Hanse/Hance-type forms.
History
The name appears in English records by the late medieval and early modern periods, and surname writers such as Bardsley and Weekley linked it with short forms like Hans and Hancock. It was also noted alongside German and Flemish forms in older scholarship, which fits the way personal-name forms crossed between English and continental usage. In some cases it may also have been influenced by local spelling variation rather than one single fixed origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname books sometimes grouped Hance with other names showing the same old medieval nickname family as Hans, Hancock, and Hankin.
From the historical record
“Ce for 8. Cf. Preece for Frees, ElUce for Ellis, Pearce for Piers, Evance for Evans, Bevance for Bevans, Hance for Hans, or Hemmence for Hemmens. Clemence for Clements may also be mentioned, although it sometimes represents the baptismal Clemens. E for g, or vice versa. Cf. the present Kilbey and Gilby. A tendency…”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances