2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hamerman
A surname derived from a medieval occupational term referring to a maker or seller of hammers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Hamerman. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hamerman 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Hamerman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamerman, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hamerman
The surname Hamerman is of German origin, originating in the late 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "hammer," which refers to the hammer tool used by various tradesmen, particularly metalworkers and blacksmiths. The name likely originated as an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked as hammer makers or used hammers in their trade.
Historically, the name Hamerman can be traced back to the regions of Bavaria and Swabia in southern Germany. Early records from these areas show variations in the spelling, such as Hammerman, Hammermann, and Hamermann. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
One of the earliest known references to the name Hamerman can be found in the records of the city of Augsburg, where a certain Hans Hammerman was listed as a burgher (citizen) in 1492. In the 16th century, the name appeared in various legal documents and guild records, indicating that Hamermans were active in metalworking and related trades.
Notable individuals with the surname Hamerman include Johann Hamerman (1518-1584), a renowned blacksmith and metalworker from Nuremberg, who was renowned for his intricate and ornate ironwork. Another notable bearer of the name was Balthasar Hamerman (1592-1658), a respected clockmaker from Augsburg, known for his innovative designs and precise craftsmanship.
In the 17th century, the Hamerman family spread beyond Germany, with branches establishing themselves in neighboring regions such as Austria and Switzerland. One prominent figure from this period was Christoph Hamerman (1637-1712), a skilled architect and stonemason from Vienna, who contributed to the construction of several notable buildings, including the Schönbrunn Palace.
As the centuries passed, the Hamerman name continued to be associated with various trades and professions. In the 19th century, a notable figure was Friedrich Hamerman (1823-1891), a German-born inventor and engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early agricultural machinery.
Another individual of note was Elise Hamerman (1867-1945), a German-American artist and educator, known for her intricate woodcarvings and her work in promoting arts education in the United States.
While the surname Hamerman has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by immigrants and descendants of the original Hamerman families. The name continues to hold a connection to its origins, reflecting the skilled and industrious nature of its bearers throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hamerman
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamerman, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Hamerman 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 Hamerman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 114
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hamerman
Hamerman 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+6 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,385 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,354 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 3,385 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 2,354 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 Hamerman 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 | #144,141 | #146,495 | -1.6% |
| Count | 115 | 114 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hamerman bearers went from 115 to 114 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,354 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #146,495.
FAQ
Hamerman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hamerman?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Hamerman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Hamerman?
Hamerman ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Hamerman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Hamerman.
Has Hamerman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hamerman went from 115 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Hamerman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamerman, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Hamerman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hamerman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Hamerman (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 Hamerman mean?
A surname derived from a medieval occupational term referring to a maker or seller of hammers. 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 Hamerman (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 are called Hamerman?
Want to know how many people are called Hamerman? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.