<P> Hansen or Hanssen ( Danish pronunciation : ( ˈhænsn̩ ) ) is a Scandinavian patronymic surname , meaning son of Hans . As of 2008 , it is the third most common surname in Denmark , shared by 4.3 % of the population . As of 2000 , Hansen is the single most common surname in Norway , not counting spelling variations such as Hanssen , which are also quite common . In the Faroe Islands Hansen is the second most common surname , while in the North German federal states of Schleswig - Holstein and Hamburg Hansen is the third and fifth most common surname , respectively . In Sweden the parallel form is Hansson . The frequent occurrences of Hansen as a surname outside Denmark , Norway and Schleswig - Holstein is due to immigration , though Nordic immigrants to English - speaking countries often anglicised their names to Hanson in order to accommodate English orthographic rules . </P>
where does the last name hansen come from
Denmark Norway the Faroe Islands the North German federal states of Schleswig - Holstein and Hamburg