Hassan (surname) - Etymology and Spelling

Etymology and Spelling

• The surname Hassan (Arabic: حسن‎, Ḥasan) in Arabic means "handsome", "manly", "strong", "good" or "benefactor".
• The surname Hassan in Ireland is one of the anglicized forms of Ó hOsáin. It is to be distinguished from Ó hOisín and Ó hOiseáin (see Hession and Hishon). In County Londonderry, where it is numerous, it is spelt Hassan, Hassen, Hasson, Hassin and Hessin. In the Monaghan Hearth Money Rolls of 1663 it appears as O'Hassan. There was a Hasson of Wexford among the "principal gentlemen" of that county in 1598, but that family was no doubt of non-Gaelic stock and a John Hassan was an influential merchant in Wexford fifty years earlier.
• The surname Hassan (Hebrew: חסן‎) in Hebrew means "cantor", or "good cantor" derived from the Arabic "good" and the Hebrew "cantor". Hassan is normally an Arab first or last name; but, in the Jewish Sephardic - Mizrahi tradition, it is a Jewish surname. In addition, from the ancient Semitic three-letter root H-S-N (חסן) (حسن), other meanings can be traced. Root Meaning: A storing or hoarding of a treasure or other precious possession. Therefore, the treasure as a sign of power, strength and wealth.

Spelling variations in different languages

• In French: Hassan, Hassen or Hacen
• In Spanish: Hassan, Hassán, Hacen, Hacén, Jassan, Jassán, Jasan, Jasán or Jasanoff
• In Italian: Cassan, Cassano, Cassani, Gazzano, Gazzani, Gassano, Gassani.
• In Russian and Bulgarian (in Cyrillic): Хасан
• In Russian (in Cyrillic): Хасан, Хассан, Хассен, Хэссан or Гасан
• In Hebrew transcription: חסן
• In Arabic transcription: حسن
• In Armenian: Hassanian or Hasanian
• In Sub-Saharan Africa: Lassana, Alassane and Lacen, derived from al-Hassan.
• In Finland: Hasanen for Hassan, derived from the Arabic Hassan and the Finnish ending for surnames EN.
• In Turkish: Hasan
• In Bosnian: Hasan (as a given name) / Hasanović (as a surname)
• In Albanian: Hasan (as a given name) / Hasani (as a surname)
• In Macedonian: Hasanovski or Asanovski (as a surname)
• In Croatian/Serbian: Asanović/ Hasanović (as a surname)
• In China: Ha for Hassan, derived from the Arabic Hassan.
• In Kurdish: Hesan
• In Somali: Xasan

Popularity of the name

• The popularity of the name Hassan or its variants Hasson, Hassen, Hassin is not only in the Arab World but also in the Muslim World.
• The Irish last name Hassan or its variants Hasson, Hassen, Hassin is frequently found especially in the area of Derry in Northern Ireland and also everywhere where there is a sizable Irish diaspora like in United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
• The frequency of the Hebrew last name Hassan or its variants Hasson, Hassen, Hassin is mostly among Sephardic Jews and Mizrahi Jews but it is also popular among Ashkenazi Jews used as a spelling variant of Hazan.