2000
#2,103
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,843
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.87
Uncommon Last name
Ham
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a meadow, from the Old English "hamm."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,557 Americans carry the last name Ham. That puts it at #2,196 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,470 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ham surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 18,470
Census rank
#2,196
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,183 bearers of the surname Ham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2196th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ham, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (15.9%) and Black (11.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ham
Among Census respondents with the surname Ham, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (15.9%) and Black (11.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ham bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Ham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.4% · 10,258
- Asian and Pacific Islander15.9% · 2,569
- Black or African American11.7% · 1,889
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 812
- Two or more races3.7% · 591
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 64
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ham
Ham appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,133
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,980
+1,137 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 5.76
Rank movement Down 30 places
2020
#2,196
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,183
-797 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 5.41
Rank movement Down 63 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,103 | 15,843 | 5.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,133 | 16,980 | 5.76 | +1,137 bearers (+7.2%) | Down 30 places |
| 2020 | #2,196 | 16,183 | 5.41 | -797 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 63 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Ham surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,133 | #2,196 | -3.0% |
| Count | 16,980 | 16,183 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 5.76 | 5.41 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ham bearers went from 16,980 to 16,183 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 63 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,133 to #2,196.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ham
FAQ
Ham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ham?
Name Census estimates that about 18,557 living Americans carry the surname Ham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,470 residents.
How common is Ham?
Ham ranks #2,196 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.41 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,183 people with the surname Ham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,557), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.41 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Ham.
Has Ham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ham went from 16,980 recorded bearers to 16,183. That is a decrease of 797 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,133 to #2,196.
What does the Census say about the background of Ham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ham, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (15.9%) and Black (11.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.4% (10,258 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (15.9%), Black (11.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Ham (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Ham mean?
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a meadow, from the Old English "hamm." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Ham (5.41 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Ham?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.