2000
#12,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,332
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Haman
A Jewish surname of German origin, possibly derived from the biblical figure Haman, the villain in the Book of Esther.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,429 Americans carry the last name Haman. That puts it at #13,700 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 141,109 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Haman 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 Haman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 141,109
Census rank
#13,700
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,118 bearers of the surname Haman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13700th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Haman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Haman
The surname Haman is believed to have originated in Germany, possibly as early as the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "hamen," which means "to hook" or "to catch," suggesting that it may have originally been an occupational surname for a fisherman or hunter.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Haman can be found in the archives of the city of Nuremberg, where a Hans Haman is mentioned in a document dated 1589. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
In the 17th century, the name Haman appears to have spread to other parts of Germany, as well as to neighboring countries such as Austria and Switzerland. For example, records from the town of Schaffhausen in Switzerland mention a Johannes Haman who was born in 1642.
One notable figure with the surname Haman was Johann Haman, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1711 to 1783. He was known for his highly detailed landscapes and architectural paintings, and his works can be found in numerous museums and galleries across Europe.
Another historical figure with the surname Haman was Karl Haman, a German military officer who served in the Prussian Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1784 and fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
In the 19th century, the Haman surname continued to be found throughout Germany and neighboring regions. One example is Friedrich Haman, a German historian and author who lived from 1826 to 1901. He wrote extensively on the history of the Middle Ages and was considered a leading scholar of his time.
As the name spread beyond its German origins, variations in spelling and pronunciation emerged. For instance, in the Netherlands, the name is sometimes spelled as "Hamman," while in English-speaking countries, it may be spelled as "Hammon" or "Hammond."
Despite these variations, the core meaning and origin of the surname Haman remain rooted in its German heritage, reflecting its possible connection to occupations related to fishing, hunting, or other outdoor pursuits.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Haman
Among Census respondents with the surname Haman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Haman 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 Haman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 1,843
- Black or African American4.7% · 100
- Two or more races3.6% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Haman
Haman 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
#10,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,974
+642 bearers (+27.5%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Up 1,508 places
2020
#13,700
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,118
-856 bearers (-28.8%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 2,964 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,244 | 2,332 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,736 | 2,974 | 1.01 | +642 bearers (+27.5%) | Up 1,508 places |
| 2020 | #13,700 | 2,118 | 0.71 | -856 bearers (-28.8%) | Down 2,964 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 Haman 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 | #10,736 | #13,700 | -27.6% |
| Count | 2,974 | 2,118 | -28.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 0.71 | -29.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Haman bearers went from 2,974 to 2,118 (-28.8% change). The surname moved down 2,964 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,736 to #13,700.
FAQ
Haman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Haman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,429 living Americans carry the surname Haman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 141,109 residents.
How common is Haman?
Haman ranks #13,700 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,118 people with the surname Haman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,429), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Haman.
Has Haman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Haman went from 2,974 recorded bearers to 2,118. That is a decrease of 856 (-28.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,736 to #13,700.
What does the Census say about the background of Haman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Haman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Haman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (1,843 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Haman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Black (4.7%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Haman (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 Haman mean?
A Jewish surname of German origin, possibly derived from the biblical figure Haman, the villain in the Book of Esther. 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 Haman (0.71 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 common is the surname Haman?
See how many people are called Haman on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.