2000
#13,536
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,059
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Hamil
Derived from the Old English "hamel," referring to someone who lived in a crooked or bent valley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,162 Americans carry the last name Hamil. That puts it at #15,044 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 158,536 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hamil 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Hamil with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 158,536
Census rank
#15,044
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,885 bearers of the surname Hamil in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15044th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamil, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hamil
The surname Hamil is believed to have originated in Scotland, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be a variation of the name Hamilton, which was derived from the Old English words "hamel" and "tun," meaning "homestead" and "town," respectively. The name was likely given to someone who lived near a homestead or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hamil can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish nobles and landowners who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England. The document lists a "Thomas de Hameldun," which may have been an early spelling of the name.
In the 14th century, a branch of the Hamil family settled in the Scottish Borders region, where they became prominent landowners. Records from this period show the name spelled in various ways, including "Hamill," "Hameill," and "Hamyll."
During the 16th century, the Hamils played a significant role in the Scottish Reformation. Sir John Hamil (c. 1510-1572) was a prominent Protestant reformer and member of the Scottish Parliament. He was instrumental in establishing the Presbyterian Church of Scotland and advocating for religious reform.
Another notable figure in the history of the Hamil surname was Sir William Hamil (1655-1723), a Scottish writer and poet. He was born in Lanarkshire and is best known for his satirical works, which critiqued the social and political climate of his time.
In the 18th century, the Hamil family had a presence in both Scotland and Ireland. James Hamil (1712-1788), a Scottish-born philosopher and educator, was a prominent figure in the Scottish Enlightenment movement. He served as a professor at the University of Glasgow and made significant contributions to the fields of logic and metaphysics.
The name Hamil also has a long-standing connection to the Scottish town of Hamilton, which was named after the Hamilton family, who were once the feudal lords of the area. The town's coat of arms features a symbol that represents the "hamel" or homestead, further reinforcing the name's historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hamil
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamil, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Hamil 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 Hamil surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 1,600
- Black or African American6.0% · 114
- Two or more races3.5% · 66
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 63
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hamil
Hamil 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
#13,764
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,198
+139 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 228 places
2020
#15,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,885
-313 bearers (-14.2%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 1,280 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,536 | 2,059 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,764 | 2,198 | 0.75 | +139 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 228 places |
| 2020 | #15,044 | 1,885 | 0.63 | -313 bearers (-14.2%) | Down 1,280 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 Hamil 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 | #13,764 | #15,044 | -9.3% |
| Count | 2,198 | 1,885 | -14.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.63 | -15.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hamil bearers went from 2,198 to 1,885 (-14.2% change). The surname moved down 1,280 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,764 to #15,044.
FAQ
Hamil surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hamil?
Name Census estimates that about 2,162 living Americans carry the surname Hamil. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 158,536 residents.
How common is Hamil?
Hamil ranks #15,044 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,885 people with the surname Hamil. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,162), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hamil.
Has Hamil become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hamil went from 2,198 recorded bearers to 1,885. That is a decrease of 313 (-14.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,764 to #15,044.
What does the Census say about the background of Hamil?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamil, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Hamil in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (1,600 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hamil appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Black (6.0%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Hamil (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 Hamil mean?
Derived from the Old English "hamel," referring to someone who lived in a crooked or bent valley. 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 Hamil (0.63 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 Hamil?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Hamil on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.