Given name & surname
Hansel
“God is gracious”
Hansel is a variant of Hans. In Scandinavian use, Hans carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Hansel is a variant of Hans. In Scandinavian use, Hans carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In German usage, Hansel is a diminutive of Hans.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1905. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Hansel through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,636
- 3,631 boys · 5 girls
- Most popular year
- 2021
- 134 babies
- 2025
- 103
- #1,638 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +50%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 103 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,638 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 49.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (23). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,486 as a first name in 2020; 3,562 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Hansel’s family of names
In German usage, Hansel is a diminutive of Hans. In English usage, Hansel has a conventional equivalent in the Italian form Gianni. Hansel has a related form in Hans.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Hansel has relatives in 5 languages.
6 related names in 5 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Hansel
- Hansel MiethAmerican photographer (1909–1998)
- Hansel RoblesDominican baseball playerborn 1990
- Hansel ZapataColombian association football playerborn 1995
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Hansel, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“one who is willing and eager” · “from the hollow in the valley”
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“as solid and strong as a rock”
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