Hans

See also: hans and HANS

Translingual

Etymology

Clipping of English Han (Simplified) or French han (simplifiée).

Symbol

Hans

1. (international standards) ISO 15924 script code for Han (Simplified variant).

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhæns/, /ˈhænz/, /ˈhɑːns/, /ˈhɑːnz/
• Rhymes: -æns, -ænz, -ɑːns, -ɑːnz
• Homophones: hands, haunts

Etymology 1

Borrowed from German Hans (occasionally used in English), a medieval short form of Johannes (“John”).

Proper noun

Hans

1. A male given name from German.

Derived terms

• Hans Lollik Island

Etymology 2

Noun

Hans (plural Hanses)

1. Alternative form of Hanse (“merchant guild”).

Anagrams

• NASH, Shan, nash, shan, Nash, HNAs, HSAN

Danish

Etymology

From German Hans, a medieval short form of Johannes (“John”).

Pronunciation

• (stressed) IPA^(key): [ˈhanˀs]

Proper noun

Hans

1. a male given name

Related terms

• (surname): Hansen, Hanssen
• Johannes and its variants

References

• [1] Danskernes Navne, based on CPR data: 107 551 males with the given name Hans have been registered in Denmark between about 1890 (=the population alive in 1967) and January 2005, with the frequency peak in the 1910s. Accessed on 19 June 2011.

Dutch

Etymology

From German Hans, a medieval short form of Johannes (“John”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɦɑns/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Hans
• Rhymes: -ɑns

Proper noun

Hans m

1. a diminutive of the male given name Johannes

Estonian

Etymology

From German Hans, a medieval short form of Johannes (“John”).

Proper noun

Hans

1. a male given name

Faroese

Proper noun

Hans m

1. a male given name

Usage notes

Patronymics

• Hans's son: Hansson
• Hans's daughter: Hansdóttir

Declension

	singular
	indefinite
nominative	Hans
accusative	Hans
dative	Hansi
genitive	Hans

Finnish

Etymology

From German Hans.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɑns/, [ˈhɑ̝ns̠]
• Rhymes: -ɑns
• Syllabification^(key): Hans
• Hyphenation^(key): Hans

Proper noun

Hans

1. a male given name

Declension

Inflection of Hans (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		Hans	Hansit
genitive		Hansin	Hansien
partitive		Hansia	Hanseja
illative		Hansiin	Hanseihin
		singular	plural
nominative		Hans	Hansit
accusative	nom.	Hans	Hansit
	gen.	Hansin
genitive		Hansin	Hansien
partitive		Hansia	Hanseja
inessive		Hansissa	Hanseissa
elative		Hansista	Hanseista
illative		Hansiin	Hanseihin
adessive		Hansilla	Hanseilla
ablative		Hansilta	Hanseilta
allative		Hansille	Hanseille
essive		Hansina	Hanseina
translative		Hansiksi	Hanseiksi
abessive		Hansitta	Hanseitta
instructive		—	Hansein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of Hans (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Hansini Hansini accusative nom. Hansini Hansini gen. Hansini genitive Hansini Hansieni partitive Hansiani Hansejani inessive Hansissani Hanseissani elative Hansistani Hanseistani illative Hansiini Hanseihini adessive Hansillani Hanseillani ablative Hansiltani Hanseiltani allative Hansilleni Hanseilleni essive Hansinani Hanseinani translative Hansikseni Hanseikseni abessive Hansittani Hanseittani instructive — — comitative — Hanseineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative Hansisi Hansisi accusative nom. Hansisi Hansisi gen. Hansisi genitive Hansisi Hansiesi partitive Hansiasi Hansejasi inessive Hansissasi Hanseissasi elative Hansistasi Hanseistasi illative Hansiisi Hanseihisi adessive Hansillasi Hanseillasi ablative Hansiltasi Hanseiltasi allative Hansillesi Hanseillesi essive Hansinasi Hanseinasi translative Hansiksesi Hanseiksesi abessive Hansittasi Hanseittasi instructive — — comitative — Hanseinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Hansimme Hansimme accusative nom. Hansimme Hansimme gen. Hansimme genitive Hansimme Hansiemme partitive Hansiamme Hansejamme inessive Hansissamme Hanseissamme elative Hansistamme Hanseistamme illative Hansiimme Hanseihimme adessive Hansillamme Hanseillamme ablative Hansiltamme Hanseiltamme allative Hansillemme Hanseillemme essive Hansinamme Hanseinamme translative Hansiksemme Hanseiksemme abessive Hansittamme Hanseittamme instructive — — comitative — Hanseinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative Hansinne Hansinne accusative nom. Hansinne Hansinne gen. Hansinne genitive Hansinne Hansienne partitive Hansianne Hansejanne inessive Hansissanne Hanseissanne elative Hansistanne Hanseistanne illative Hansiinne Hanseihinne adessive Hansillanne Hanseillanne ablative Hansiltanne Hanseiltanne allative Hansillenne Hanseillenne essive Hansinanne Hanseinanne translative Hansiksenne Hanseiksenne abessive Hansittanne Hanseittanne instructive — — comitative — Hanseinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative Hansinsa Hansinsa accusative nom. Hansinsa Hansinsa gen. Hansinsa genitive Hansinsa Hansiensa partitive Hansiaan Hansiansa Hansejaan Hansejansa inessive Hansissaan Hansissansa Hanseissaan Hanseissansa elative Hansistaan Hansistansa Hanseistaan Hanseistansa illative Hansiinsa Hanseihinsa adessive Hansillaan Hansillansa Hanseillaan Hanseillansa ablative Hansiltaan Hansiltansa Hanseiltaan Hanseiltansa allative Hansilleen Hansillensa Hanseilleen Hanseillensa essive Hansinaan Hansinansa Hanseinaan Hanseinansa translative Hansikseen Hansiksensa Hanseikseen Hanseiksensa abessive Hansittaan Hansittansa Hanseittaan Hanseittansa instructive — — comitative — Hanseineen Hanseinensa

Statistics

• Hans is the 227^th most common male given name in Finland, belonging to 2,517 male individuals (and as a middle name to 1,154 more), according to August 2025 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

German

Alternative forms

• Hannes, Hanns

Etymology

A medieval short form of Johannes (“John”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hans/

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Proper noun

Hans m (proper noun, strong, genitive Hans' or Hansens, plural Hänse, diminutive Hänschen n or Hänsel n or Hansi n or Hänslein n)

1. a male given name

Related terms

• (surnames): Hansen, Hanson, Hanssen
• Johannes and its variants

Descendants

• → Danish: Hans
  • → Norwegian: Hans
• → Dutch: Hans
• → English: Hans
• → Swedish: Hans
• → Czech: Honza
• → Polabian: Åns

See also

• Fritz (pet form of Friedrich)
• Hinz (pet form of Hinrich (Heinrich))
• Kunz (pet form of Kunrad (Konrad))
• Lutz (pet form of Ludwig or Ludger)
• Max (short form of Maximilian)
• Petz (pet form of Peter)

Further reading

• “Hans” in Duden online
• “Hans”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎^[2] (in German)

Hunsrik

Alternative forms

• Schwong
• Hannes
• Johannes

Etymology

A short form of Johannes.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhans/
• Rhymes: -ans
• Syllabification: Hans

Proper noun

Hans m

1. a male given name, equivalent to English Jack

Icelandic

Proper noun

Hans m (proper noun, genitive singular Hans)

1. a male given name

Declension

Declension of Hans (sg-only masculine)

indefinite singular
nominative	Hans
accusative	Hans
dative	Hans
genitive	Hans

Norwegian

Etymology

From German Hans, a medieval short form of Johannes (“John”), from Latin Jōhannēs, Iōhannēs (a variant of Jōannēs, Iōannēs), from New Testament Ancient Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), a contraction from Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (yôḥānān) (Yohanan, Yokhanan), (perhaps) from a short form of Hebrew יְהוֹחָנָן (yəhôḥānān), meaning "YHWH is gracious".

First recorded in Norway in the 14th century.

Proper noun

Hans

1. a male given name
2. Hansel, the boy in the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel.

Related terms

• (surnames): Hansen, Hanssen
• Johannes and its variants

References

• Kristoffer Kruken - Ola Stemshaug: Norsk personnamnleksikon, Det Norske Samlaget, Oslo 1995, →ISBN
• [3] Statistisk sentralbyrå, Namnestatistikk: 23 372 males with the given name Hans living in Norway on January 1st 2011, with the last frequency peak in the 19th century. Accessed on April 29th, 2011.

Swedish

Etymology

From German Hans, a medieval short form of Johannes (“John”). First recorded in Sweden in 1356.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hɑːns/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːns

Proper noun

Hans c (genitive Hans)

1. a male given name
2. Hansel, the boy in the fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel"

   Hans och Greta

   Hansel and Gretel

Related terms

• (pet form): Hasse
• (surname): Hansson
• Johannes and its variants

References

• Roland Otterbjörk: Svenska förnamn, Almqvist & Wiksell 1996, →ISBN
• [4] Statistiska centralbyrån and Sture Allén, Staffan Wåhlin, Förnamnsboken, Norstedts 1995, →ISBN: 122 616 males with the given name Hans living in Sweden on December 31st, 2010, without a clear frequency peak. Accessed on 19 June 2011.