Hassan|
| Word/name | Arabic, Irish, Scottish, Jewish |
|---|
| Meaning | Arabic: "handsome", "good", "manly", "strong", "benefactor"; Irish and Scottish: "descendant of Osain", "descendant of Oisín"; Jewish: used as a spelling variant of Hazzan "cantor"[1] |
|---|
| Region of origin | Arabic, Irish, Scottish, Jewish |
|---|
Hassan or Hasan is an Arabic, Irish, Scottish, or Jewish (Sephardic and Mizrahic) surname.
Etymology and spelling
There are several unrelated origins for this surname:
- In Arabic, Hassan is a transliteration of two names that both derive from the Arabic language triconsonantal root Ḥ-S-N (ح-س-ن): Ḥasan (حَسَن), which means "good", "handsome", "excellent", or "favorable"; and Ḥassān (حَسَّان), which means "benefactor".
- In Ireland/Scotland, the surname Hassan is one of the anglicized forms of the Gaelic (Irish/Scottish) form of Ó hOsáin. It is to be distinguished from Ó hOisín and Ó hOiseáin (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.[2][3][4][5][6][7] Another derivation is from "Hal's son".[8]
- In Israel and among Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, the surname Hassan (חסן) is derived as a spelling variant of Hazzan ("cantor")[1] and therefore most likely represents an alteration of this term through Judaeo-Spanish or Judeo-Arabic.[9][10][11][12][13][14] Hassan is normally an Arab first or last name; but, in the Jewish Sephardic – Mizrahi traditions, it is a Jewish surname.[9][10] The Jewish surname Hassan[9][10][11][12][13][14] or Hasson (see also Hassoun),[15] appear to have most likely originated from Spain, from where the Jewish family has initially settled in Morocco[16] and in Livorno, Italy, following 1492 expulsion of the Jews from Spain, and afterwards following the 16th century has spread throughout the Ottoman Empire (notably to Thessaloniki, Greece; Istanbul, Turkey; in 1592 in Sidon, Lebanon; Damascus, Syria; Constantine, Algeria and Tunis, Tunisia).[17]
- Depending on language and region, spelling variations
Hassan is a surname of many independent linguistic and regional origins, including Arabic (and through the influence of Arabic, languages spoken by Muslims such as Persian, Kurdish, Urdu, Indonesian, Malaysian, Turkish, Uyghur, Turkmen, Somali, Swahili, Berber, Azerbaijani, Crimean Tatar, Tatar, Bosnian, Albanian, Bengali, etc.), as well as Irish, Scottish, and Jewish.
Therefore, depending on language and region, spelling variations include Hasan, Hassen, Hasson, Hassin, Hassine, Hacen, Hasen, Hasin, Hassa, Hasa, Cassin, Chasan, Chasson, Chason, Khasshan, Khasan, Casan, Case, Hasso, Hassanein, Hasnen, Hess, Hasani, Alhassan (Alhassani), Al-Hassan (Al-Hassani), Lassana, Alassane, Lacen, Lasanah, Assan, Asan, Asanov/Asanova, Hasanov/Hasanova, Klassen, Khasanova, Hasanoff, Jasanoff, Hasanović, Hasanovic, Asanović, Hasanovich, Hasanovski/Hasanovska, Asanovski/Asanovska, O'Hassan, or Haasan (Haasaan, Hasaan).
- List of variant spellings
- In Arabic transcription: حسن (Ḥasan), حسان (Ḥassān),
- In Urdu: حسن (Hasan)
- In Hebrew transcription: חסן (Hasan or Hassan)
- In Turkish: Hasan, Asan, Hasanoglu, Asanoglu
- In Bosnian: Hasanović, Asanović, Hasović
- In Albanian: Hasani or Hasan
- In Armenian: Hassanian or Hasanian
- In Azerbaijan: Həsən
- In Kurdish: Hesan
- In Kazakh: Asan or Äsem
- In Bengali transcription: হাসান (Hāsān)
- In Somali: Xasan
- In West Africa: Lassana, Alassane and Lacen, derived from al-Hassan.
- In Finland: Hasanen for Hassan, derived from the Arabic Hassan and the Finnish suffix for surnames -en.[18]
- In French: Hassan, Hassen, Hasson or Hacen
- In Spanish: Hassan, Hassán, Hacen, Hacén, Jassan, Jassán, Jasan, Jasán, Hasson or Jasanoff
- In Russian transcription: Хасан, Хассан, Хассен, Хэссан, Гасан, Асан, Асанов/Хасанов (masculine), Асанова/Хасанова (feminine)
- In Croatian/Serbian/Montenegrin: Asanović, Hasanović, Hasović
- In China, some Muslims believe that their surname Ha (哈) is abbreviated from Arabic Hassan.
- Popularity of the surname
- The popularity of the name Hassan or its variants Hasson, Hassen, Hassin is not only in the Arab world (including Arab Christians) 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 the United States, Canada, Scotland, England, Australia and New Zealand.
- The frequency of the Jewish last name Hassan – or its variants Hasson, Hassen, Hassin – is mostly among Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews, used as a spelling variant of Hazzan.[1]
