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

Hamby, 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 Hamby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hamby in America

Hamby is the 2609th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hamby surname appeared 13,823 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Hamby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hamby 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 Hamby

The surname Hamby is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the county of Gloucestershire, derived from the Old English words "ham" meaning a village or homestead, and "bie" meaning a dwelling or habitation.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hambi." This entry suggests that the name was already established in England during the Norman Conquest.

The name Hamby is also thought to have connections to various place names in Gloucestershire, such as Hambrook and Hambury. These locations likely played a role in the surname's development, as it was common for people to adopt surnames based on the places they lived or came from.

One notable figure bearing the Hamby surname was William Hamby, a member of the English Parliament who lived in the late 16th century (c. 1550-1610). He represented the borough of Grantham and played a role in the political affairs of his time.

In the 17th century, John Hamby (c. 1630-1695) was a renowned English poet and satirist, known for his biting wit and criticism of literary figures of his era. His work "The Battle of the Frogs and Mice" was a popular parody of the classical epic tradition.

Moving into the 18th century, we find Elizabeth Hamby (1711-1781), an English painter and engraver who gained recognition for her portraits and landscapes. She was a member of the Society of Artists in London and exhibited her work regularly.

Another notable bearer of the Hamby surname was Sir Thomas Hamby (1770-1848), a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. He distinguished himself in several battles, including the Battle of Waterloo, and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-General.

In the 19th century, Henry Hamby (1825-1891) was a prominent English architect known for his Gothic Revival designs. He was responsible for the construction of several churches and public buildings, including the iconic St. Pancras Railway Station in London.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hamby

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

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 Hamby 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 Hamby 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 Hamby was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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