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Name Origin

Hans is a Germanic given name, a short form of Johannes, meaning 'God is gracious'. It is particularly common in German-speaking countries and Scandinavia.

germanicjohannesmasculinecommon

Famous People

Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875)

Author, Poet, Playwright

  • Wrote famous fairy tales like The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling

Hans Zimmer (1957-)

Film Score Composer

  • Won an Oscar, three Golden Globes, and two Grammys for his film scores
  • Composed music for films like The Lion King, Inception, and Gladiator

Hans Kelsen (1881-1973)

Legal Philosopher, jurist

  • Developed the Pure Theory of Law
  • Influential figure in legal positivism and constitutional law

Hans Bethe (1906-2005)

Physicist

  • Won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1967 for his work on the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis.
  • Contributed to the Manhattan Project during World War II.