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

Hamer, 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 Hamer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hamer in America

Hamer is the 5158th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hamer surname appeared 6,783 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Hamer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hamer 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 Hamer

The surname Hamer originated in England and is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "hamor," which means "hammer." The name likely referred to someone who worked as a blacksmith or metal worker, using a hammer as their primary tool.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Hamer can be traced back to the late 12th century in various English records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1190, which mentioned a person named William le Hamer. Other early spellings of the name included Hamar, Hamere, and Hamor.

In the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, there is a reference to a John le Hamer, indicating the widespread use of the name across different regions of England during the Middle Ages. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also listed a Robert le Hamer, suggesting the name's presence in the West Midlands area.

One notable historical figure with the surname Hamer was Sir Thomas Hamer (c. 1508-1589), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1567. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers and played a significant role in the city's governance during the Elizabethan era.

Another individual of note was John Hamer (1542-1614), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of St Asaph from 1605 until his death. He was a prominent figure in the Church of England during the early 17th century.

In the 16th century, the surname Hamer was also found in various place names across England, such as Hamer in Staffordshire and Hamer Hill in Surrey, further indicating the name's widespread usage and potential connection to specific localities.

During the 17th century, several members of the Hamer family were involved in the English Civil War, with some supporting the Parliamentarian cause and others fighting for the Royalists. One notable example was Colonel Thomas Hamer (c. 1610-1662), a Royalist officer who played a role in the defense of Hereford during the conflict.

In the literary world, the surname Hamer is associated with Sir William Hamer (1677-1743), an English playwright and author best known for his comedic plays "The Lover's Opera" and "The Rover; or, The Double Disguise."

These are just a few examples of notable individuals with the surname Hamer throughout history, reflecting the name's long-standing presence and significance in various contexts across England and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hamer

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!