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

Hamlin, 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 Hamlin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hamlin in America

Hamlin is the 2150th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hamlin surname appeared 16,871 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Hamlin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hamlin 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 Hamlin

The surname Hamlin is of English origin and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "ham" meaning a homestead or village, and "linn" meaning a pool, stream, or waterfall. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a stream or waterfall in a small hamlet or village.

Hamlin is thought to have originated in the county of Gloucestershire, England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hameldon" and "Hamelune", referring to settlements in Gloucestershire.

In the 13th century, the name appeared as "Hamelyn" in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. This spelling variation highlights the influence of Norman French on the English language during this period.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Hamelyn, a wealthy merchant from Bristol, England, who was mentioned in records from the late 13th century.

During the 14th century, the name was also found in various spellings such as "Hamelyn" and "Hamelyne" in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.

In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the name was Giles Hamlin, born in England around 1550. He was one of the early English settlers in New England, arriving in Massachusetts in the 1630s.

Another significant figure was Eleazer Hamlin, born in Barnstable, Massachusetts in 1678. He served as a member of the Massachusetts General Court and was involved in the establishment of several towns in the colony.

In the 18th century, John Hamlin, born in 1722 in Massachusetts, fought in the French and Indian War and later became a prominent figure in the American Revolutionary War.

The 19th century saw the rise of Hannibal Hamlin, born in 1809 in Maine. He served as the 16th Vice President of the United States under President Abraham Lincoln from 1861 to 1865, during the American Civil War.

Throughout its history, the surname Hamlin has been associated with various place names in England, such as Hamlin in Gloucestershire, Hamlyn in Devon, and Hamlin Hill in Oxfordshire, reflecting the geographical origins of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hamlin

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

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

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

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