There are probably two originations for this dialectually transposed spelling although a note of considerable caution is always necessary in these circumstances. The first is from the Medieval "Hankin" - meaning "The Son of hann" an Olde English variant of John, the second is as a variant of the locational name hanscomb, from the hamlet of Hanscomb End in Bedfordshire. Locational names are notorious for transposition, as a general rule, the further the removal from the place of origin, the greater the corruption of spelling. A possible name holder was Mary Hancen or Hanken who sailed to America in April 1847 from Liverpool. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Hanscom. which was dated 1652, Married Mary Tennant, London. during the reign of Oliver Cromwell, The Lord protector 1649 - 1658. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.