Hanis

Hanis is a surname used primarily in Europe and the Middle East. It is derived from the Germanic personal name Han, a short form of names such as Hans or Hannibal, or from the Arabic word hanīs meaning “expected” or “desired,” depending on the linguistic context. The name has been documented in historical records in the 17th century in Germany and in the Ottoman Empire in the 18th century.

In addition to its use as a family name, Hanis is the name of a small village in the Jhelum District of Punjab, Pakistan, where the population is engaged mainly in agriculture and small‑scale trade. The village is situated near the River Jhelum and has a notable mosque that serves as a central point for the local community.

Notable individuals bearing the surname include the American author and historian H. J. Hanis (1932–1995), who specialized in early medieval European history, and the Swedish swimmer Katarina Hanis (born 1993), who competed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The name also appears in colonial records in Sri Lanka, where a family of merchants known as the Hanis dynasty was active in the 19th century, with genealogical studies tracing their lineage back to traders from the Malabar Coast in India.

The distribution of the surname is most frequent in Germany, Sweden, and Turkey, and it can also be found in English‑speaking countries as a result of immigration.