boys' name ★ peaked 1970

Hans

Meaning A male given name from German Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,325 Trend ↑ Rising 15%

A male given name from German.

Rank 2025
#1,325
among boys · unchanged vs 2024
Babies in 2025
146
named Hans · +1% vs 2024
How common
1 in 11,699
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1970
271 babies
All-time total
15,682
#948 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Hans popularity over time

15,682 babies have been named Hans since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.10.20.30.418801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 253 253 25 – #291
1890s – 206 206 21 -19% #343
1900s – 174 174 17 -16% #476
1910s – 662 662 66 +280% #509
1920s – 741 741 74 +12% #644
1930s – 790 790 79 +7% #612
1940s – 535 535 54 -32% #740
1950s – 1,279 1,279 128 +139% #568
1960s 5 2,333 2,338 234 +83% #464
1970s – 2,193 2,193 219 -6% #494
1980s – 1,871 1,871 187 -15% #573
1990s – 1,532 1,532 153 -18% #742
2000s – 1,181 1,181 118 -23% #1,078
2010s – 1,137 1,137 114 -4% #1,260
2020s (to 2025) – 790 790 132 +16% #1,325

Where Hans is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 150 0.09 outside top 500
2027 153 0.09 outside top 500
2028 156 0.09 outside top 500
2029 159 0.09 outside top 500
2030 161 0.09 outside top 500

Where Hans is most popular

Boys named Hans per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.078 per 1,000. Strongest in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Washington.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Hans born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Minnesota 47 0.383 +392%
Wisconsin 29 0.245 +214%
Washington 29 0.177 +127%
Utah 15 0.157 +102%
Colorado 19 0.147 +89%
Pennsylvania 34 0.128 +64%
Florida 38 0.080 ≈ national
Indiana 12 0.075 ≈ national
Massachusetts 10 0.073 -7%
Michigan 14 0.068 -12%
Oregon 5 0.066 -15%
California 59 0.065 -17%
Ohio 12 0.045 -42%
Texas 38 0.043 -45%
North Carolina 11 0.043 -45%
New York 15 0.035 -56%
New Jersey 5 0.025 -68%
Illinois 6 0.023 -70%
Georgia 5 0.020 -75%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Hans

Hans is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,325 in 2025 with 146 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 15,682 American babies have been named Hans. Its peak came in 1970, when 271 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1970s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Hans stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Hans?

The median living Hans is about 43 years old; half are between 24 and 57. An estimated 12 thousand people named Hans are alive in the United States today.

median 43 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Hans year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 146 #1,325
2024 – – 145 #1,325
2023 – – 112 #1,561
2022 – – 133 #1,400
2021 – – 137 #1,352
2020 – – 117 #1,465
2019 – – 123 #1,423
2018 – – 122 #1,438
2017 – – 145 #1,260
2016 – – 132 #1,351
2015 – – 121 #1,421
2014 – – 134 #1,313
2013 – – 98 #1,581
2012 – – 91 #1,680
2011 – – 67 #2,027
2010 – – 104 #1,546
2009 – – 113 #1,476
2008 – – 108 #1,508
2007 – – 115 #1,417
2006 – – 119 #1,363
2005 – – 129 #1,229
2004 – – 112 #1,322
2003 – – 128 #1,168
2002 – – 98 #1,349
2001 – – 127 #1,115
2000 – – 132 #1,078
1995 – – 152 #889
1990 – – 189 #742
1985 – – 179 #656
1980 – – 211 #598
1975 – – 196 #575
1970 – – 271 #494
1965 – – 222 #511
1960 – – 206 #548
1955 – – 150 #605
1950 – – 65 #846
1945 – – 43 #979
1940 – – 69 #740
1935 – – 73 #714
1930 – – 101 #612
1925 – – 81 #720
1920 – – 63 #855
1915 – – 98 #573
1910 – – 27 #548
1905 – – 17 #579
1900 – – 18 #590
1895 – – 22 #420
1890 – – 17 #446
1885 – – 33 #291
1880 – – 21 #376

Famous people named Hans

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Hans Zimmer Hans Zimmer German film composer (born 1957) Contemporary
  2. 2 Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen Danish writer (1805–1875) 19th century
  3. 3 Hans Albert Einstein Hans Albert Einstein Swiss-American engineer and educator 1904–1973 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Hans Frank Hans Frank German politician and war criminal (1900–1946) Contemporary
  5. 5 Hans Asperger Hans Asperger Austrian physician (1906–1980) Contemporary
  6. 6 Hans Holbein the Younger Hans Holbein the Younger German artist and printmaker (1497–1543) Medieval
  7. 7 Hans Krebs Hans Krebs German Wehrmacht Heer general (1898–1945) 19th century
  8. 8 Hans Bethe Hans Bethe German-American physicist (1906–2005) Contemporary
  9. 9 Hans Fritzsche Hans Fritzsche German Nazi official (1900–1953) Contemporary
  10. 10 Hans Christian Ørsted Hans Christian Ørsted Danish chemist and physicist (1777–1851) 18th century
  11. 11 Hans von Seeckt Hans von Seeckt German officer (1866–1936) 19th century
  12. 12 Hans Morgenthau Hans Morgenthau American political scientist (1904–1980) Contemporary
  13. 13 Hans Eysenck Hans Eysenck German-born British psychologist (1916–1997) Contemporary
  14. 14 Hans Kelsen Hans Kelsen Austrian jurist and legal philosopher (1881–1973) 19th century
  15. 15 Hans Memling Hans Memling German-Flemish painter (c. 1430–1494) 1435–1494 · Medieval
  16. 16 Hans von Bülow Hans von Bülow German conductor and pianist (1830–1894) 19th century
  17. 17 Hans Fallada Hans Fallada German writer 1893–1947 · 19th century
  18. 18 Hans Küng Hans Küng Swiss Catholic priest, theologian, and author (1928–2021) Contemporary
  19. 19 Hans Geiger Hans Geiger German physicist (1882–1945) 19th century
  20. 20 Hans Selye Hans Selye Austro-Hungarian scientist (1907–1982) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Hans, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Hans?

The median living Hans is about 43 years old. Half of all living Hanss are between 24 and 57 years old.

How many people named Hans are alive today?

An estimated 12 thousand people named Hans are alive in the United States, based on 15,682 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Hans mean?

A male given name from German.

How popular is the name Hans in 2025?

Hans ranked #1,325 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 146 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Hans?

15,682 babies have been named Hans in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Hans most popular?

Hans peaked in 1970, when 271 newborns received the name.

Is Hans a boy or girl name?

Hans is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Hans rising or falling?

Hans is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Hans become more popular?

Hans is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 161 boys named Hans in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Hans?

Well-known people named Hans include Hans Zimmer (composer), Hans Christian Andersen (writer), Hans Albert Einstein (engineer).

Names like Hans

Names that sound and feel close to Hans: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Hans with similar names → More names starting with H →