Hansel

Hansel: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“God is gracious”
Origin
Germanic
Say it
HAHN-sel · 2 syllables
Used for
Boys

Hansel, more often Hänsel in German, is a diminutive of Hans, itself a short form of Johannes. It is well known from the folktale 'Hansel and Gretel.'

How popular is Hansel?

202430.0 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Hansel in 2024101

2024 rank#1,661 boys

Peak year2021

Total US babies since 18803,534

Hansel is rising: use over the last five years is 1.9× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Hansel

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • HansGod is gracious · Germanic
  • Williamresolute protector · Germanic
  • Henryhome ruler · Germanic
  • Charlesfree man · Germanic
  • Milessoldier or merciful · Germanic
  • Robertbright fame · Germanic
  • Milogracious; dear · Germanic
  • Luisfamous warrior · Germanic

Hansel questions

What does the name Hansel mean?

Hansel means "God is gracious". It comes from Germanic. Hansel, more often Hänsel in German, is a diminutive of Hans, itself a short form of Johannes. It is well known from the folktale 'Hansel and Gretel.'

Is Hansel a boy or girl name?

Hansel is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Hansel?

101 US babies were named Hansel in 2024. Its peak year was 2021.

How do you pronounce Hansel?

Hansel is usually pronounced HAHN-sel.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.