Surname Hanzel - Meaning and Origin
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Hanzel: What does the surname Hanzel mean?
The last name Hanzel is of German origin and can be traced back to an early 12th century inhabitant of the German Empire named Hans. It is believed that his descendants eventually adopted the surname Hanzel, which is a derivatives of Hans.
The Hans surname is derived from the Germanic personal name “Hans” which is a short form of the names Johannes and Johan. Johannes is derived from two Hebrew elements, “Yo” meaning “God” and “chanan” meaning “to favor”. The name got adopted by Europeans during the crusades and gained wide circulation eventually.
The first recorded use of the name Hanzel as a surname was by Hansel von Maleck, a noted bishop in 1276. The Hanzel surname was mainly used among families living in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in the southern regions of Germany.
In modern times, the Hanzel surname has come to be associated with strength and willpower. While not incredibly common, the Hanzel surname still stands as a proud Germanic tradition stretching back many hundreds of years.
Order DNA origin analysisHanzel: Where does the name Hanzel come from?
The last name Hanzel is quite common in Central Europe today, particularly in the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria and Slovakia.
In the Czech Republic, the surname Hanzel is the 325th most common surname, with 5,866 people carrying the name. In Slovakia, it is the 142nd most common surname and about 6,484 people have it. In Germany, the name is slightly less popular, ranking 672nd most common, with 4,070 people who carry it. In Austria, the name is the 895th most common surname and 1,814 people have it.
The surname Hanzel also appears in Hungary, where it is considered to be of Czech origin, along with in Poland, where it is of Germanic or Slavic origin. It is also present in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, although its presence is much smaller in those areas.
In the United States, the last name Hanzel is relatively uncommon. There are 12,250 estimated people who carry the surname Hanzel in the United States, accounting for 0.004% of the population. It is most common in Ohio, Michigan and California, and is growing in popularity.
Overall, the last name Hanzel is a common surname throughout Central Europe today, partially due to the presence of German-speaking populations in those countries. It is also present in some other areas, although much more sparsely. In the United States, it is still an uncommon surname, but is growing in popularity.
Variations of the surname Hanzel
The surname Hanzel has many variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin.
Variant spellings include Hansell, Hanzell, Hansell, Hanichel, Hanacle, Hanizel, Hanisel, Hansel, Hentzell, Henzell, Honceal and Honzal.
Surnames from the same root include Hanze, Haunch, Hangs, Hentsch, Honsal, Henschel, Hensel, Hanksel, Hankzell and Hencel.
Some of the variants of this name are derived from other languages, such as Hanzel in Czech, Hanselmann in German, Anselmo in Italian and Anselme in French.
The name is thought to have derived from the German phrase ‘Hans der Zelle’ which translates to ‘John of the cell’ or ‘John the hermit’. This is indicative of the fact that the name likely originated from a hermit and later spread throughout various countries.
The name is also thought to have been used as a nickname for someone who was small or had a particular pale color of hair.
The name Hanzel can also appear without the double "L" in some places, so it is important to check all the variants and spellings to make sure that the correct surname is used when researching the family tree.
Famous people with the name Hanzel
- Nick Hanzel: American professional basketball player; currently plays for the Siegburg Mosquitoes.
- Kai-Uwe Hanzel: German former professional footballer who played as a midfielder for Borussia Dortmund and Rangers.
- Gudrun Hanzel-Dittrich: German astrophysicist, creator of the Planetarium Nürnberg, and the first woman in the post-war period to get an appointment as an astronomy professor in Germany.
- Sascha Hanzel: German figure skater who competed both nationally and internationally.
- Jan Hanzel: Czechoslovakian actor who appeared in film projects such as the 1982 drama Moderato Cantabile and the 1990 comedy film Coup de Grâce.
- Liz Hanzel: American music artist and multi-instrumentalist.
- Rene Hanzel: Dutch football goalkeeper who most notably played for Willem II Tilburg.
- Aksel Hanzel: Swedish actor who starred in the 2010 film Call Girl.
- Edgar Hanzel: Austrian musician and composer who played the tuba in the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
- Kirk Hanzel: Canadian actor who appeared in the TV show Stargate SG-1 as well as in the 2012 movie The Possession of Michael King.