Hutchens
An English surname that most likely began as a patronymic form of Hutch, a medieval pet name for Hugh or Richard.
The #4,463 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 38,816 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hutchens is generally understood as a patronymic surname built from Hutch, a medieval diminutive used as a familiar form of Hugh and, in some cases, Richard. The ending -ens reflects an old possessive or descendant-forming pattern, so the name would originally have meant “Hutch’s” or “Hutch’s family.” In that sense, the surname points back to a forebear known by the nickname Hutch.
History
The surname appears in English-speaking records in several spelling forms, reflecting the loose and changing spelling of earlier centuries. It is most strongly associated with England and later spread to North America through migration. Related surnames include Hutchins, Hutchinson, and Hitchens, all from the same nickname base.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Hutch was such a common medieval nickname that it generated a whole cluster of surnames, not just one.