2000
#5,718
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,559
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.06
Rare Last name
Hamill
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hAdhmaill, meaning "descendant of Adhmall," derived from a personal name meaning "honor."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,095 Americans carry the last name Hamill. That puts it at #6,177 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,235 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hamill 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 Hamill with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.1K
1 in 56,235
Census rank
#6,177
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,315 bearers of the surname Hamill in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6177th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamill, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hamill
The surname Hamill has its origins in the British Isles, specifically in Ireland and Scotland. It is derived from the Gaelic word "camas," meaning "crooked or winding," which was often used to describe a river or stream. The name likely referred to someone who lived near such a waterway.
In Ireland, the name first appeared in County Armagh, where it was recorded as early as the 12th century. One of the earliest references to the name is found in the Annals of Ulster, a medieval chronicle that mentions a "Gillamurry Hamill" in 1178.
The name also has a strong presence in Scotland, particularly in the counties of Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. In Scotland, it was often spelled as "Hammill" or "Hammil." One notable bearer of the name was John Hamill, a Scottish soldier who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783).
In the 16th century, the name appeared in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of instruments recording the submission of Scottish nobles and landowners to Edward I of England. The name "Hamill" is listed among those who swore fealty to the English king.
The name Hamill has also been associated with several places in Ireland and Scotland, such as Hamiltonbawn in County Armagh and Hamiltonhill in Glasgow. These place names likely derived from the surname, indicating areas where families with the name settled or held land.
Some notable individuals with the surname Hamill throughout history include:
1. Patrick Hamill (1512-1589), an Irish Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of Elizabeth I.
2. John Hamill (1755-1820), a Scottish poet and essayist known for his works on Scottish history and culture.
3. Dorothy Hamill (born 1956), an American figure skater who won a gold medal at the 1976 Winter Olympics.
4. Pete Hamill (1935-2020), an American journalist, novelist, and editor known for his works on New York City life.
5. Mark Hamill (born 1951), an American actor best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars film franchise.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hamill
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamill, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Hamill 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 Hamill surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 4,849
- Two or more races3.5% · 185
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 179
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 33
- Black or African American0.4% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hamill
Hamill 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
#5,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,781
+222 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.96
Rank movement Down 236 places
2020
#6,177
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,315
-466 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.78
Rank movement Down 223 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,718 | 5,559 | 2.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,954 | 5,781 | 1.96 | +222 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 236 places |
| 2020 | #6,177 | 5,315 | 1.78 | -466 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 223 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 Hamill 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 | #5,954 | #6,177 | -3.7% |
| Count | 5,781 | 5,315 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.96 | 1.78 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hamill bearers went from 5,781 to 5,315 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 223 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,954 to #6,177.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hamill
FAQ
Hamill surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hamill?
Name Census estimates that about 6,095 living Americans carry the surname Hamill. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,235 residents.
How common is Hamill?
Hamill ranks #6,177 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,315 people with the surname Hamill. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,095), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Hamill.
Has Hamill become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hamill went from 5,781 recorded bearers to 5,315. That is a decrease of 466 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,954 to #6,177.
What does the Census say about the background of Hamill?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamill, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Hamill in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (4,849 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hamill appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Hamill (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 Hamill mean?
Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó hAdhmaill, meaning "descendant of Adhmall," derived from a personal name meaning "honor." 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 Hamill (1.78 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 Hamill?
You can see how many people are called Hamill on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.