Fun Facts About the Name Hansel
- More than 3 thousand babies named Hansel: U.S. records list 3,637 babies given the name Hansel from 1880 through 2025. Even 5 girls received the name Hansel - about 1 girl for every 726 boys.
What Does the Name Hansel Mean?
Hansel is a German diminutive of Hans, a short form of Johannes (John), and it carries the same meaning: "God is gracious." Johannes comes from Greek Iōannēs, which in turn goes back to Hebrew Yochanan, a name built from elements meaning "Yahweh" and "has been gracious."
The ending -el is a German diminutive suffix, the same one seen in Gretel (from Grete, a short form of Margarete). So Hansel means literally "little Hans," and the affectionate "little" is part of the form rather than a separate meaning. The umlauted spelling Hänsel reflects a fronted vowel in the diminutive and appears in the familiar fairy-tale title. The name should not be confused with similarly shaped names such as Handsel or with unrelated Hebrew names beginning with Han-, which have different roots.
Hansel Name History & Origins
Hans became one of the most common masculine names in German-speaking central Europe during the Middle Ages, functioning as an everyday short form of Johannes. From it, speakers formed a range of affectionate diminutives using endings such as -el, -l, -lein, and -chen; Hansel and Hänsel belong to that pattern. Diminutives of this kind served in daily speech as familiar or child-oriented forms, not only as descriptions of physical smallness.
The best-known literary appearance is in the Brothers Grimm collection Kinder- und Hausmärchen, where "Hänsel und Gretel" was published in the 1812 first volume. The Grimms were recording and editing tales already circulating orally, so the story popularized the name for readers rather than creating it. Through that tale, Hansel became familiar to English speakers as the brother in the gingerbread-house story, and it is chiefly in that literary association that the name is recognized in the English-speaking world.
In German-speaking regions the form also exists as a family name, and the given name Hansel occurs in parts of the Americas, including Spanish-speaking areas, where it is used alongside spellings without the umlaut. Its English use as a given name remains occasional and is tied closely to the fairy tale rather than to a long independent tradition in English.
How Popular is the Name Hansel?
Hansel recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2021. Its best rank was #959 in 1905.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | #5,446 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,638 | 103 | 0.0060% |
| 2024 | #1,661 | 101 | 0.0059% |
| 2023 | #1,710 | 98 | 0.0057% |
| 2022 | #1,510 | 120 | 0.0069% |
| 2021 | #1,373 | 134 | 0.0077% |
| 2020 | #1,782 | 85 | 0.0049% |
| 2019 | #1,921 | 77 | 0.0043% |
| 2018 | #2,313 | 58 | 0.0032% |
| 2017 | #1,872 | 78 | 0.0042% |
| 2016 | #1,979 | 73 | 0.0038% |
| 2015 | #1,721 | 90 | 0.0047% |
| 2014 | #1,356 | 126 | 0.0066% |
| 2013 | #1,582 | 98 | 0.0052% |
| 2012 | #2,840 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 2011 | #4,559 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2010 | #4,574 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2009 | #3,588 | 30 | 0.0015% |
| 2008 | #2,802 | 43 | 0.0021% |
| 2007 | #3,632 | 29 | 0.0014% |
| 2006 | #3,546 | 29 | 0.0014% |
| 2005 | #3,480 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 2004 | #4,174 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2003 | #4,499 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2002 | #4,778 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2001 | #3,764 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2000 | #3,354 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1999 | #3,624 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1998 | #3,753 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1997 | #4,325 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1996 | #3,241 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1995 | #3,606 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1994 | #3,159 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1993 | #2,536 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 1992 | #2,143 | 36 | 0.0018% |
| 1991 | #2,204 | 33 | 0.0016% |
| 1990 | #2,277 | 31 | 0.0015% |
| 1989 | #3,136 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1988 | #2,104 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1987 | #2,995 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1986 | #2,632 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1985 | #2,454 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1984 | #2,469 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1983 | #1,917 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1982 | #2,459 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1981 | #3,294 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1980 | #2,393 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1979 | #3,656 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1978 | #3,486 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1977 | #3,275 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1976 | #3,831 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1975 | #2,683 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1974 | #2,719 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1972 | #2,895 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1971 | #1,947 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1970 | #2,786 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1969 | #2,250 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1968 | #2,143 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1967 | #2,187 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1966 | #2,693 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1965 | #2,025 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1964 | #2,590 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1963 | #2,151 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1962 | #2,224 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1961 | #2,094 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1960 | #1,743 | 22 | 0.0010% |
| 1959 | #3,123 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1958 | #1,923 | 18 | 0.0008% |
| 1957 | #1,858 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1956 | #2,550 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1955 | #1,870 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1954 | #1,995 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1953 | #1,442 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 1952 | #1,530 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1951 | #1,538 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1950 | #2,257 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1949 | #1,477 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1948 | #1,848 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1947 | #1,502 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1946 | #1,534 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 1945 | #1,554 | 19 | 0.0014% |
| 1944 | #1,459 | 22 | 0.0016% |
| 1943 | #1,382 | 26 | 0.0018% |
| 1942 | #1,482 | 23 | 0.0017% |
| 1941 | #1,613 | 19 | 0.0015% |
| 1940 | #1,297 | 27 | 0.0023% |
| 1939 | #1,551 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1938 | #1,352 | 25 | 0.0023% |
| 1937 | #1,354 | 25 | 0.0023% |
| 1936 | #1,341 | 25 | 0.0024% |
| 1935 | #1,232 | 30 | 0.0029% |
| 1934 | #1,156 | 33 | 0.0032% |
| 1933 | #1,424 | 23 | 0.0023% |
| 1932 | #1,116 | 37 | 0.0035% |
| 1931 | #1,088 | 39 | 0.0038% |
| 1930 | #1,408 | 27 | 0.0025% |
| 1929 | #1,147 | 37 | 0.0034% |
| 1928 | #1,238 | 34 | 0.0031% |
| 1927 | #1,031 | 46 | 0.0041% |
| 1926 | #1,136 | 40 | 0.0036% |
| 1925 | #1,058 | 43 | 0.0039% |
| 1924 | #1,038 | 47 | 0.0041% |
| 1923 | #1,105 | 42 | 0.0038% |
| 1922 | #1,293 | 32 | 0.0029% |
| 1921 | #1,275 | 33 | 0.0030% |
| 1920 | #1,128 | 40 | 0.0038% |
| 1919 | #1,173 | 36 | 0.0037% |
| 1918 | #1,134 | 37 | 0.0037% |
| 1917 | #987 | 44 | 0.0048% |
| 1916 | #1,250 | 29 | 0.0033% |
| 1915 | #1,027 | 39 | 0.0046% |
| 1914 | #1,642 | 15 | 0.0023% |
| 1913 | #1,401 | 15 | 0.0029% |
| 1912 | #1,669 | 10 | 0.0023% |
| 1911 | #1,073 | 11 | 0.0049% |
| 1905 | #959 | 8 | 0.0060% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Hansel Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You attract success and money. You are a lover of nature and do not need others for your happiness. You are self sufficient. You strive for material success and power and have business sense. You possess strong organizational abilities, can be a good manager, and executive by nature. You are capable of great achievement in business and finance. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Hansel's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Hansel's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.