Hans
A short form of John, ultimately from Hebrew Yohanan, used as a personal name and a source of many surnames.
The #7,516 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 69,741 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hans is the German and Scandinavian form of John, ultimately from Hebrew Yohanan, meaning "God is gracious." In surname history, it often appears as the base for patronymic forms such as Hanson, meaning "son of Hans." Some older writers also treated Hans itself as a nickname or diminutive used in Germanic languages for Johannes/John.
History
As a given name, Hans became especially common in German-speaking and Scandinavian regions, where it was one of the everyday forms of John. As a surname, it is much less common on its own than in compounds like Hanson or Hansson. English surname writers of the 19th century regularly noted Hans as the parent form behind several such names.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Bardsley and Lower both pointed to Hans as the root of surnames like Hanson, showing how a very ordinary given name could generate a large family of surnames.
From the historical record
“usually, however, suffixed as -zon). One famous Danish -sen name, Thorwaldsen, recalls the part which the great sculptor plays, as a ings poor little scullion, in Hans Andersen's 'Children's Prattle.' The chamberlain's proud little daughter, it will be remembered, haughtily proclaimed at the party (according to one…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)