2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Hamdorf
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly indicating origin from a village or town of that name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Hamdorf. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hamdorf 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Hamdorf in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamdorf, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hamdorf
The surname Hamdorf originated in Germany and has its roots in the Low German language. It is derived from the Old Saxon words "ham" meaning home or homestead, and "dorp" meaning village or town. This combination suggests that the name referred to someone who lived in a particular hamlet or small settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Lüneburg Heath region of Lower Saxony, where the village of Hamdorf is located. The village dates back to the 13th century and was likely the place of origin for families bearing this surname.
Historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries mention individuals with the name Hamdorf living in various parts of northern Germany, particularly in the regions of Hanover, Mecklenburg, and Pomerania. Some variations in spelling can be found, such as Hamdorff and Hamdorpe, reflecting the local dialects and scribal practices of the time.
One notable bearer of the name was Johann Hamdorf, a Lutheran pastor and theologian who lived from 1588 to 1644. He served as a clergyman in several towns in the Duchy of Mecklenburg and was known for his sermons and theological writings.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure with the surname Hamdorf was Friedrich Wilhelm Hamdorf, a German jurist and legal scholar born in 1726 in Hanover. He held several important positions in the legal system of the Electorate of Hanover and published works on legal theory and practice.
Another individual of note was Johann Christian Hamdorf, a German composer and organist who lived from 1765 to 1825. He served as the organist at various churches in Mecklenburg and composed numerous works for organ and other instruments.
While the name Hamdorf is primarily associated with northern Germany, it has spread to other regions over time due to migration and population movements. However, the earliest and most significant historical references to the surname can be traced back to its origins in the villages and towns of Lower Saxony and neighboring areas of northern Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hamdorf
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamdorf, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%) and Hispanic (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hamdorf 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 Hamdorf surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 115
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hamdorf
Hamdorf 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,263 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,860 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 9,263 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 4,860 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 Hamdorf 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 | #136,449 | #141,309 | -3.6% |
| Count | 123 | 121 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hamdorf bearers went from 123 to 121 (-1.6% change). The surname moved down 4,860 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #141,309.
FAQ
Hamdorf surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hamdorf?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Hamdorf. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Hamdorf?
Hamdorf ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Hamdorf. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Hamdorf.
Has Hamdorf become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hamdorf went from 123 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Hamdorf?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamdorf, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%) and Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Hamdorf in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hamdorf appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%), Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Hamdorf (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 Hamdorf mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly indicating origin from a village or town of that name. 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 Hamdorf (0.04 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 have the last name Hamdorf?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Hamdorf on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.