The Norwegian and Danish surname Hansen, also found in northern Germany and Holland is of patronymic origin, being derived from the personal name Hans, a form of Johannes meaning  “Jehovah has favored.” It is the third most common surname in Denmark, shared by about 4.3% of the population.[1] Hansen is the single most common surname in Norway, not counting spelling variations such as Hanssen, which are also quite common. In the North German federal states of Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg Hansen is the third and fifth most common surname, respectively. Amongst the early recordings are those of Hainrich Hans, of Ringlers, Germany, in the year 1357.