Hanson is an Anglicized English surname of Scandinavian and German origin, created from the two words Hans and son (son of Hans). Spoken in English by a German or Swedish immigrant to America, for example, the sound of Hans' son comes out sounding like Hansson, shortened to Hanson. In this same example, an immigrant from Norway would have a different accent, resulting in the sound of Hans' sen, or Hanssen, shortened to Hansen.[1]
Hanson is a Scandinavian Jewish surname,[2] deriving from the female personal name Hannah, Chana or חַנָּה in Hebrew, meaning "God has favoured me".[3] This surname has ties to the formerly flourishing Jewish communities of Sweden, Denmark and Norway.[4]
People with the name include:
- Alexander Hanson (actor) (born 1961), Norwegian-born British actor
- Alexander Contee Hanson (1786–1819), American lawyer
- A. M. Hanson (born 1969), English artist and photographer
- Alf Hanson (1912–1993), British football player
- Aline Hanson (1949–2017), Saint Martin educator and politician
- Ann Meekitjuk Hanson (born 1946), Canadian politician, commissioner of Nunavut
- Ann-Louise Hanson (born 1944), Swedish singer
- Arin Hanson (born 1987), American animator, voice actor, Internet personality
- Sir Charles Hanson, 1st Baronet (1846–1922), British MP and Lord Mayor of London
- Sir Charles Hanson, 2nd Baronet (1874–1958), British politician
- Charlie Hanson, British producer and director
- Chris Hanson (born 1976), American football player
- Chris Hanson (born 1985), English golfer
- Christian Hanson (footballer) (born 1981), British football player
- Christian Hanson (ice hockey) (born 1986), American ice hockey player
- C. J. Hanson (born 2001), American football player
- Curt Hanson (1943–2017), American politician
- Curtis Hanson (1945–2016), American film director
- Frederick Hanson (late 20th century), Australian Commissioner of the New South Wales Police 1972–1976
- Fritz Hanson (1914–1996), American-born Canadian football player
- Jake Hanson (born 1997), American football player
- James Hanson, Baron Hanson (1922–2004), English industrialist
- Jimmy Hanson (footballer, born 1904) (1904–?), English footballer for Manchester United
- James Hanson (footballer, born 1987), English footballer for Grimsby Town
- Jamie Hanson (born 1995), English footballer for Derby County
- James Hanson (rugby union) (born 1988), Australian rugby union player (hooker) for Queensland Reds
- James C. Hanson (1862–1946), American politician
- Jane Hanson (born 1955), American television host
- Janine Hanson (born December 14, 1982), a Canadian rower from Winnipeg
- Jason Hanson (born 1970), American professional football player
- Jeff Hanson (1978–2009), American singer-songwriter
- Jeffrey O. Hanson (1958–2006), American politician
- Jennifer Hanson (born 1974), American country singer
- Jimmy Hanson (1904–?), English football player
- Jo Hanson (1918–2007), American environmental artist and activist
- Joe Hanson (soccer) (born 2003), Canadian soccer player
- Joel Hanson (contemporary), American singer and guitarist
- John Hanson (disambiguation), several people
- Marcy Hanson (born 1952), American Playboy Playmate and actress
- Margaret Murray Hanson, astronomer
- Margus Hanson (born 1958), Estonian politician
- Mark Hanson (born 1946), Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Marla Hanson (born 1962), American screenwriter and ex-model
- Martin Hanson (born 1971), Swedish football referee
- Marv Hanson (1943–2004), American politician
- Maryhelen Hanson (born 1946), American ballerina
- Matt Hanson (born 1971), American author, film producer and film director
- Matt Hanson (politician), American politician
- Mitchell Hanson (born 1988), English football defender
- Ole Hanson (1874–1940), American real estate developer and politician
- Ray Hanson (died 1982), American college football coach
- Raymond Alvah Hanson (1923–2009), American entrepreneur, inventor and engineer
- Raymond Hanson (composer) (1913–1976), Australian composer and lecturer
- Raymond Hanson (cricketer) (born 1951), English cricketer
- Ray Hanson (1895–1982), American football coach
- Sir Reginald Hanson (1840–1905), Lord Mayor of London, Member of Parliament
- Richard Hanson (Canadian politician) (1879–1948), Canadian politician
- Richard Hanson (bishop) (1916–1988), bishop of Clogher in the Church of Ireland, 1970–1973
- Richard Hanson (Australian politician) (1805–1876), British-Australian chief justice of South Australia
- Richard H. Hanson (1931-2023), American politician
- Richard Hanson (Missouri politician), American politician, secretary of state of Missouri in 1994
- Robert Hanson (disambiguation), several people
- Robert M. Hanson (1920–1944), American Marine Corps aviator
- Robin Hanson (born 1959), American professor of economics
- Roger Hanson "Old Flintlock" (1827–1863), general in the American confederate army
- Roger L. Hanson (1925–2005), American politician
- Rudolph Hanson (1903–2002), American lawyer and politician
- Roy Hanson, a character in the 1984 American comedy horror film Gremlins
- Tori Hanson, Wind Rangers character in the Power Rangers universe
- Zoey Hanson, main character in the English dub of Tokyo Mew Mew, Mew Mew Power