Hannsen: Last Name Origin and Family Crest

Seen on a birth certificate or a ship's manifest, Hannsen is usually a form of Hans. Name scholars give the meaning as “A descendant of Hans”. Hannsen adds -nsen to the root of Hans, a common way of forming related surnames. Before spelling was standardised, one family could appear under several forms. You may also find the name written Hannse, Haensen and Hanhsen.

A coat of arms belongs to a particular family line rather than to everyone named Hannsen, so the heraldry linked to Hans is a starting point, not an automatic right. Want more than a summary? See the Hannsen family name pack.