Find out how popular the last name Ham is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ham.

Ham, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ham in America

Ham is the 2133rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ham surname appeared 16,980 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Ham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ham to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ham

The surname "Ham" is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "ham," which means a homestead or a village. This word is thought to have originated from the Proto-Germanic word "haimaz," meaning home or dwelling.

The name "Ham" is found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Kent, Surrey, and Sussex, where it was commonly used as a place name suffix. It was often combined with other words to form place names like Hammersmith, Hampstead, and Hambledon.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Ham" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The book mentions several places with the name "Ham," indicating the surname's early origins.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named William de Ham was recorded as a landowner in the county of Kent. Another early bearer of the name was John Ham, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Sussex in 1292, a legal document related to land transactions.

During the 16th century, the surname "Ham" appeared in various records, including parish registers and tax rolls. One notable individual was William Ham, a merchant from Bristol, who lived from around 1515 to 1580.

In the 17th century, the name "Ham" gained prominence with several individuals leaving their mark. John Ham (1557-1636) was an English composer and organist who served as the organist at Gloucester Cathedral. Another notable figure was Thomas Ham (1620-1688), a member of the British Parliament who represented the borough of Windsor.

The 18th century saw the rise of James Ham (1712-1783), an English Baptist minister and author who wrote several theological works. Additionally, John Ham (1730-1808) was a British naval captain who served during the American Revolutionary War and is known for his role in the Battle of the Virginia Capes.

In the 19th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname "Ham" was Sir John Ham (1833-1910), a British lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Straits Settlements (now part of Malaysia and Singapore) from 1891 to 1904.

These examples demonstrate the long history and widespread use of the surname "Ham" across various professions and regions, reflecting its English origins and the significance of place names in the development of surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ham

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ham.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ham was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ham has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ham was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ham, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!