Hansen [ˈhænsn̩] is a Swedish Danish-Norwegian-Faroese patronymic surname, literally meaning son of Hans. It is the third most common surname in Denmark, shared by about 4.3% of the population. Hansen is the single most common surname in Norway, not counting spelling variations such as Hanssen, which are also quite common. In the Faroe Islands Hansen is the second most common surname, while in the North German federal states of Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg Hansen is the third and fifth most common surname, respectively. In Sweden the parallel form is Hansson. The frequent occurrences of Hansen as a surname outside Denmark, Norway and Schleswig-Holstein is due to immigration, though immigrants to English-speaking countries often changed the spelling to match the English lastname: Hanson in order to accommodate English orthographic rules.
Hansen or Hanssen may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Al Hansen (1927–1995), American artist
Andrew Hansen (1974–), Australian comedian
Asta Hansen (1914–1962), Danish stage and film actress.
Beck Hansen, also known as Beck (1970–), American musician, songwriter
Betsy Hansen (dates unknown), woman who charged actor Errol Flynn with statutory rape in 1942
B. Andreas Bull-Hansen (1972–), Norwegian fantasy writer and former championship weightlifter
Carl G. O. Hansen (1871–1960), Norwegian-American journalist, musician and author
Carl William Hansen (1872–1936), Danish author
Chris Hansen, American journalist
Christian Frederik Hansen (1756–1845), Danish architect
Constantin Hansen (1804–1880), Danish artist
Courtney Hansen (contemporary), American model and television personality
C. & V. Hansen (1906–2001 & 1900–1992), Danish comics authors
Dinah-Jane Hansen (born 1996),Singer of Female American group Fifth Harmony
David Hansen (actor) (contemporary), actor, director, and playwright
Derek Hansen (contemporary), Australian writer
Erik Hansen (born 1927), Danish architect
Erik Fosnes Hansen (1965–), Norwegian author
Gunnar Hansen (1947–2015), Icelandic-American actor
Ib Hansen, pseudonym of Austrian poet H. C. Artmann (1921–2000)
Henriette Hansen, Norwegian ballerina, singer and actor
Joachim Hansen (actor) (1930–), German actor
Johannes Hansen (sculptor) (1903–1995), Danish sculptor
Joseph Hansen (writer) (1923–2004), author
Joseph Hansen (dancer) (1842–1907), Belgian dancer
Kai Hansen (1963–), German power metal musician
Liane Hansen (contemporary), American radio journalist and radio show host
Lisa M. Hansen an American producer, actress, assistant director, and writer
Mary Hansen (1966–2002), Australian guitarist and singer
Max Hansen (tenor) (1897–1961), Danish singer
Peter Hansen (actor) (1921–), American actor
Ron Hansen (novelist) (1947–), American novelist, essayist, and professor
Politics
Ann Hansen (contemporary), Canadian anarchist and bomber
Bernie Hansen (contemporary), American politician in Chicago politics
Clifford Hansen (1912–2009), American politician from Wyoming
Colin Hansen (contemporary), Canadian politician from British Columbia
Connor Hansen, American jurist from Wisconsin
Dave Hansen (1947–), American politician from Wisconsin
Eva Kjer Hansen (1964–), Danish politician
Flemming Hansen (politician) (1939–), Danish politician
George V. Hansen (1930–), American politician from Idaho
Glenna Hansen (1956–), Canadian Inuvialuit politician
H. C. Hansen (1906–1960), Danish Prime Minister (1955–1960)
James V. Hansen (1932–), American politician from Utah
Joseph Hansen (socialist) (1910–1979), American Trotskyist and leader of the American Socialist Workers Party
Merle Hansen (1919–), American farmer, Founder of the North American Farm Alliance
Peter Hansen (UN) (1941–), Danish UN official
Robert W. Hansen, American jurist from Wisconsin
Ron Hansen (politician) (1943–), Canadian politician from Ontario
Stephanie Hansen (1961–), American politician from Delaware
Urban Hansen (1908–1986), Danish politician
Science
Alvin Harvey Hansen (1887–1975) American economist
Emil Christian Hansen (1842–1910), Danish fermentation physiologist
Gerhard Armauer Hansen (1841–1912), Norwegian physician, discover of the cause of leprosy
Hans Jacob Hansen (1855–1936), Danish zoologist
James E. Hansen (1941–), American climatologist
Julie Vinter Hansen (1890–1960), Danish astronomer
Per Brinch Hansen (1938–2007), Danish computer scientist
Peter Andreas Hansen (1795–1874), Danish astronomer
Thomas Blom Hansen (born 22 January 1958), Danish anthropologist
W.W. Hansen (1909–1949), American physicist
Sport
Abraham Løkin Hansen (1959–), Faroese footballer (né Hansen)
Adam Hansen (1981–), Australian road cyclist
Alan Hansen (1955–), Scottish footballer
Ashia Hansen (1971–), British athlete, Olympic contestant
Bob Hansen (1961–), American basketballer
Brendan Hansen (1981–), American swimmer
Craig Hansen (1983–), American professional baseball player
Curt Hansen (chess player) (1964–), Danish chess grand master
Dale Hansen (1948–), American sportscaster
Dave Hansen (baseball player), American baseball player
Einar Hansen, Faroese soccer player
Erika Hansen (1970–), American swimmer
Fred Hansen (1940–), 1964 Olympic Gold medalist and world record pole vaulter
Jan Knobelauch Hansen (1971–), Danish athlete, Olympic contestant
Jannik Hansen (born 1986), Danish Ice Hockey Player
Joachim Hansen (MMA) (1979–), Norwegian Mixed martial artist
Joan Hansen (1958–), American long-distance runner
John Hansen (footballer born 1924), Danish footballer
John Hansen (footballer born 1950), Scottish footballer
Johnny Hansen (footballer born 1943), Danish footballer
Kevin Hansen (volleyball) (1982–), American indoor volleyball player
Martin Lundgaard Hansen (1972–), Danish badminton player, Olympic contestant
Niels Jørgen Hansen, Danish darts player
Nikolaj Hansen (1987–), Danish footballer
Paul Snow-Hansen, New Zealand sailor
Per Joar Hansen (1965–), Norwegian football coach
Phil Hansen (American football) (born 1968), American former football player
Rasmus Grønborg Hansen, Danish football (soccer) player
Rick Hansen (1957–), Canadian paraplegic athlete and humanitarian
Ron Hansen (baseball) (1938–), American professional baseball player
Søren Hansen (1974–), Danish professional golfer
Stan Hansen (1949–), American professional wrestler
Trine Hansen (1973–), Danish rower
Other
Annika Hansen a fictional character from Star Trek: Voyager better known as Seven of Nine
Elaine Tuttle Hansen (contemporary), president of Bates College
Georg Emil Hansen (1833–1891), Danish photographer
Georg Hansen (1904–1944), German army officer
Gus Hansen (1974–), Danish professional poker player
Helmer Hanssen (1870–1956), Norwegian polar explorer
John Hansen (judge) (1945–), retired New Zealand judge
Lars Peter Hansen (1952–), American economist and econometrician
Matthew Hansen, Canadian screenwriter, author and editor
Max Hansen (SS officer) (1908–1990)
Monica Hansen, Norwegian model
Percy Howard Hansen (1890–1951), Danish recipient of the Victoria Cross
Robert Hanssen (1944–), American FBI agent convicted of spying for Russia
Sig Hansen (1966–), American Captain of the Seattle-based crab fishing boat Northwestern, featured in the documentary Deadliest Catch
Theodore Marcus Hansen (1886–1973), Danish-American pastor, theologian, and churchman
Theophil Freiherr von Hansen (1813–1891), Danish-Austrian architect
