Hann
A short surname that can be a German word-name for a cock, or in some cases a reduced form connected with Johannes/Hans.
The #5,421 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 48,091 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The strongest old dictionary explanation treats Hann as a German surname from Hahn, meaning “cock” or “rooster.” That makes it a nickname or descriptive name, probably first applied to someone thought to be lively, proud, or otherwise birdlike. Other German onomastic material also links Hann to forms from Johannes/Hans, so in some families it may be a shortened or altered personal-name surname rather than a direct word-name.
History
The surname is found in German contexts and has also been carried into English-speaking countries by migration. Because Hann can arise from more than one naming pattern, separate families with this surname may not share the same origin. The English-language surname record also shows Hann in historical London and elsewhere, but the documentation here is mostly incidental rather than a dedicated entry.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Old surname dictionaries sometimes gloss Hann simply as “a cock,” which is a reminder that many surnames began as blunt nicknames.
From the historical record
“family. HANN. Germ, liahn., a cock. HANNAH, See Female Christian Names. HANNAY. Anciently Aharmay or Hannay, of Sorbie, in Wigtonshire. A Gilbert de Anneth or Hannethe is found in Rag-man Roll, A.D. 1296. Nisbet's Heraldry. HANNEY. A parish in Berkshire.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom