# Handy (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/handy/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname transferred from the nickname.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | nickname, from a description or nickname of an ancestor |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 14,537 |
| US rank (2010) | 2,482 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 21,239 people |
| Change since 2000 | +6.5% (13,655 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | not recorded |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

Originating as a nickname for a handy person.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Handy in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 55% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 36% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.1% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 2.8% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Handy in the United States.

## People named Handy

- W. C. Handy, American blues composer and musician (1873–1958)
- James Handy, American actor (1945–2026)
- Jam Handy, American swimmer and entrepreneur (1886–1983)
- John Handy, American jazz musician

## Similar surnames

Hand, Hendy, Hunt, Hammett, Hamid, Honda, Hamed, Hamada, Hameed, Hunte, Hamad, Hammitt.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.