Hank

Meaning: Its source is Heimrich, an Ancient Germanic name meaning "Home leader."

Nickname For: Henry

Popularity: The name Hank ranked 983rd in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.

Narrative: Among the Norman barons who conquered England in 1066 were a number named Henri, the French version of the Germanic name Heimrich.

Anglo-Saxon tongues could not easily negotiate the French nasalized ''en'' and the characteristic ''r,'' so during of the Middle Ages Henri was rendered as Harry in spoken English. The English spelling, however (following Latin and French), was Henry.

Over time, the name's spelling began to influence the way it was said. Eventually, Harry, once the primary English pronunciation of the name, joined ranks with Hank and Hal as one of Henry's nicknames.

Arts and Music

Hank Ballard (born 1936)
American singer and songwriter.
- Wrote ''''The Twist'''' (see list of Songwriters)
Hank Williams, Jr. (born 1949)
American singer.
- Winner of six Country Music Association awards, in 1985 and 1987-89 (see list of Country Music Association Award Winners)
Hank Ketcham (born 1920)
American cartoonist.
- Dennis the Menace (see list of Cartoonists)
Hank Snow (born 1914)
American singer.
- Country Music Hall of Fame (see list of Country Music Hall of Fame)
Hank Thompson
- Country Music Hall of Fame (see list of Country Music Hall of Fame)
Hank Williams (born 1923, died 1953)
American singer and songwriter.
- Country Music Hall of Fame (see list of Country Music Hall of Fame)
- Winner of the 1989 Country Music Association awards for Vocal Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year (see list of Country Music Association Award Winners)

Miscellaneous

Henry ''Hank'' Aaron (born 1934)
American professional baseball player; holder of the record for most home runs (755).
- 1975 Spingarn Medal winner (see list of Spingarn Medal Winners)

Sports

Henry ''Hank'' Aaron (born 1934)
American professional baseball player; holder of the record for most home runs (755).
- 1957 National League Most Valuable Player (see list of National League Most Valuable Players)
- 1956, 1959 National League Batting Champion (see list of National League Batting Champions)
- Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982 (see list of Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame)
Hank Greenberg
Baseball player.
- 1935, 1940 American League Most Valuable Player (see list of American League Most Valuable Players)
- Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1956 (see list of Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame)
Hank Iba
American basketball coach.
- Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1968 (see list of Basketball Hall of Fame)
Hank Kashiwa
Skier.
- Elected to the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame in 1994 (see list of Members of the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame)
Hank Lauman
- Member of the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame (see list of American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame)
Hank Marino
- Member of the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame (see list of American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame)
Hank Moreno
Jockey.
- 1853 Kentucky Derby winner (see list of Jockeys Who Have Won the Kentucky Derby)
Hank Sauer
Baseball player.
- 1952 National League Most Valuable Player (see list of National League Most Valuable Players)

Stage and Screen

Hank Azaria (born 1964)
American actor.
- Voice of Moe (see list of Voices on ''The Simpsons'')
Hank Buchanan
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Peter Fox (see list of Characters on ''The Waltons'')
Hank Gannon
Fictional character.
- Character on the soap opera One Life to Live (see list of Characters on ''One Life to Live'')
Hank Jennings
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Chris Mulkey (see list of Characters on ''Twin Peaks'')
Hank Mann
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
Hank Williams (born 1923, died 1953)
American singer and songwriter.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording (see list of Recording Personalites with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)

The Literary World

Hank Grayle
Fictional character.
- The principal at Ewen High School in Stephen King''s novel Carrie (see list of Characters in Carrie)
Hank Townsend
Fictional character.
- State police detective in Stephen King''s novel Cujo (see list of Characters in Cujo)