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Updated June 9, 2019

Family name origins & meanings

  • North German, Dutch, and Danish : from a pet form of Hans or Heinrich.
  • English : in part the German, Dutch, or Danish name (see 1), but possibly in some cases a variant of Scottish Hanning.
  • Norwegian : habitational name from a farm in Trøndelag. The first element is of uncertain origin, possibly from hein ‘whetstone’; the second element is from Old Norse vin ‘meadow’.
  • Swedish : probably of the same origin as 1.

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