Group Administrator:
Gareth Henson - Email:
henson.dna@breathe.com
Project Surnames
Hansan, Hansen, Hanson, Hanssen, Hansson, Hanzon, Henson, Hentzen, Hinson, Hounson
Project Background
The Project pages are being redeveloped (March 2008).
The Hanson/Henson/Hansen surname in its various forms has its origins in those parts of Northern Europe where it was common to form a surname by adding -son or -sen to the individual's father's name. Originally the surname changed each generation but the practise of passing on fixed surnames spread gradually to everywhere except Iceland. Families also often had to adopt a fixed surname earlier than their closest relatives if they migrated to a region or country where this was required of them by the local administration.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patronymic for more information on patronymic surnames.