2000
#5,758
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,507
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.04
Rare Last name
Hamann
Derived from a shortened form of the German personal name Hagan, meaning "hawk-like" or "hawk-minded."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,114 Americans carry the last name Hamann. That puts it at #6,158 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,061 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hamann 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.
Bearers in the US
6.1K
1 in 56,061
Census rank
#6,158
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,332 bearers of the surname Hamann in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6158th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamann, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hamann
The surname Hamann is of German origin, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Hamen," which refers to a hamlet or small village. This suggests that the name may have originated from a specific place name or location.
One of the earliest documented instances of the Hamann surname can be found in the records of the city of Hamburg, Germany. In the year 1589, a merchant named Hans Hamann is mentioned in the city's trade records. This provides evidence that the name was already established in northern Germany during the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the Hamann surname appears to have spread throughout various regions of Germany. In 1642, a baptismal record from the town of Lübeck lists a child named Johann Hamann. Meanwhile, in Saxony, a man named Christian Hamann is recorded as a landowner in the village of Borna in 1678.
As the name gained prominence, it was also associated with notable individuals throughout history. Johann Georg Hamann (1730-1788), a German philosopher and writer, is considered one of the most influential figures of the Sturm und Drang literary movement. His works explored themes of language, religion, and the relationship between reason and faith.
Another significant figure was Gustav Hamann (1808-1854), a German physician and botanist. He made valuable contributions to the field of plant taxonomy and is credited with naming several plant species, including the genus Hamania.
In the 19th century, the Hamann surname continued to be present in various parts of Germany. Carl Gustav Hamann (1823-1889) was a renowned German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Reichspostamt and the Königliche Bibliothek (Royal Library).
Moving into the 20th century, the name gained international recognition with the work of Richard Hamann (1879-1961), a German art historian and archaeologist. He made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Roman art, publishing numerous influential works on the subject.
Throughout its history, the Hamann surname has been associated with various professions and fields, from merchants and landowners to scholars, artists, and scientists. While its origins can be traced back to German place names, the name has since spread beyond its initial geographical boundaries, showcasing the diversity and richness of its heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hamann
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamann, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Hamann 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 Hamann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 4,843
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 233
- Two or more races3.2% · 169
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 47
- Black or African American0.4% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hamann
Hamann 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
#5,705
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,078
+571 bearers (+10.4%)
Per 100,000 2.06
Rank movement Up 53 places
2020
#6,158
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,332
-746 bearers (-12.3%)
Per 100,000 1.78
Rank movement Down 453 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,758 | 5,507 | 2.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,705 | 6,078 | 2.06 | +571 bearers (+10.4%) | Up 53 places |
| 2020 | #6,158 | 5,332 | 1.78 | -746 bearers (-12.3%) | Down 453 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 Hamann 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 | #5,705 | #6,158 | -7.9% |
| Count | 6,078 | 5,332 | -12.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.06 | 1.78 | -13.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hamann bearers went from 6,078 to 5,332 (-12.3% change). The surname moved down 453 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,705 to #6,158.
FAQ
Hamann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hamann?
Name Census estimates that about 6,114 living Americans carry the surname Hamann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,061 residents.
How common is Hamann?
Hamann ranks #6,158 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,332 people with the surname Hamann. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Hamann.
Has Hamann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hamann went from 6,078 recorded bearers to 5,332. That is a decrease of 746 (-12.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,705 to #6,158.
What does the Census say about the background of Hamann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamann, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Hamann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (4,843 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hamann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Hamann (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 Hamann mean?
Derived from a shortened form of the German personal name Hagan, meaning "hawk-like" or "hawk-minded." 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 Hamann (1.78 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 are called Hamann?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Hamann on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.