boys' name ★ peaked 2021

Hansel

Meaning An Anglicised spelling of the German given name Hänsel Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,638 Trend ↑ Rising 42%

An Anglicised spelling of the German given name Hänsel.

Rank 2025
#1,638
among boys · ↑26 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
103
named Hansel · +2% vs 2024
How common
1 in 16,583
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2021
134 babies
All-time total
3,636
#2,242 all-time among boys
First recorded
1905
in Social Security records

Hansel popularity over time

3,636 babies have been named Hansel since 1905, 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
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – 8 8 1 – #959
1910s – 236 236 24 +2850% #987
1920s 5 394 399 40 +69% #1,031
1930s – 283 283 28 -29% #1,088
1940s – 225 225 23 -20% #1,297
1950s – 179 179 18 -20% #1,442
1960s – 148 148 15 -17% #1,743
1970s – 117 117 12 -21% #1,947
1980s – 209 209 21 +79% #1,917
1990s – 246 246 25 +18% #2,143
2000s – 261 261 26 +6% #2,802
2010s – 684 684 68 +162% #1,356
2020s (to 2025) – 641 641 107 +56% #1,373

Where Hansel 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 110 0.06 outside top 500
2027 116 0.07 outside top 500
2028 122 0.07 outside top 500
2029 126 0.07 outside top 500
2030 131 0.08 outside top 500

Where Hansel is most popular

Boys named Hansel per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.064 per 1,000. Strongest in Texas, Florida, and New Jersey.

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 Hansel 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
Texas 106 0.120 +87%
Florida 42 0.089 +38%
New Jersey 16 0.079 +23%
California 65 0.071 +10%
Maryland 8 0.067 ≈ national
Louisiana 6 0.059 -9%
New York 24 0.055 -14%
Alabama 5 0.046 -29%
Georgia 11 0.043 -33%
North Carolina 10 0.039 -39%
Virginia 7 0.037 -43%
Washington 5 0.031 -53%
Tennessee 5 0.028 -57%
Alaska – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Illinois – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Ohio – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Pennsylvania – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
Wisconsin – – –
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 Hansel

Hansel is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,638 in 2025 with 103 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1905, 3,636 American babies have been named Hansel. Its peak came in 2021, when 134 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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 Hansel stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Hansel?

The median living Hansel is about 13 years old; half are between 5 and 40. An estimated 2,500 people named Hansel are alive in the United States today.

median 13 020406080100

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

Hansel 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 – – 103 #1,638
2024 – – 101 #1,664
2023 – – 98 #1,713
2022 – – 120 #1,511
2021 – – 134 #1,373
2020 – – 85 #1,782
2019 – – 77 #1,922
2018 – – 58 #2,313
2017 – – 78 #1,872
2016 – – 73 #1,979
2015 – – 90 #1,721
2014 – – 126 #1,356
2013 – – 98 #1,582
2012 – – 42 #2,841
2011 – – 21 #4,561
2010 – – 21 #4,575
2009 – – 30 #3,588
2008 – – 43 #2,802
2007 – – 29 #3,632
2006 – – 29 #3,546
2005 – – 28 #3,480
2004 – – 21 #4,174
2003 – – 18 #4,499
2002 – – 16 #4,778
2001 – – 22 #3,764
2000 – – 25 #3,354
1995 – – 18 #3,606
1990 – – 31 #2,277
1985 – – 21 #2,454
1980 – – 21 #2,393
1975 – – 14 #2,809
1970 – – 12 #2,787
1965 – – 16 #2,026
1960 – – 22 #1,743
1955 – – 18 #1,870
1950 – – 12 #2,258
1945 – – 19 #1,554
1940 – – 27 #1,297
1935 – – 30 #1,232
1930 – – 27 #1,408
1925 – – 43 #1,058
1920 – – 40 #1,128
1915 – – 39 #1,027
1910 – – – –
1905 – – 8 #959
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Hansel?

The median living Hansel is about 13 years old. Half of all living Hansels are between 5 and 40 years old.

How many people named Hansel are alive today?

An estimated 2,500 people named Hansel are alive in the United States, based on 3,636 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Hansel mean?

An Anglicised spelling of the German given name Hänsel.

How popular is the name Hansel in 2025?

Hansel ranked #1,638 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 103 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Hansel?

3,636 babies have been named Hansel in the United States since 1905, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Hansel most popular?

Hansel peaked in 2021, when 134 newborns received the name.

Is Hansel a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Hansel rising or falling?

Hansel has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Hansel become more popular?

Hansel is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 131 boys named Hansel in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Hansel

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

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