2000
#33,471
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 643
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.24
Very Rare Last name
Hammaker
An occupational surname referring to a maker of hams or cured meats.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 861 Americans carry the last name Hammaker. That puts it at #32,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 398,089 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hammaker 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
861
1 in 398,089
Census rank
#32,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
751
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 751 bearers of the surname Hammaker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 32755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hammaker, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hammaker
The surname HAMMAKER has its origins in Germany, where it first appeared in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German words "ham" meaning "home" and "maker" meaning "maker" or "builder." This suggests that the name likely referred to a builder or maker of homes or perhaps someone who lived near or in a prominent home.
One of the earliest known records of the name dates back to 1542, when a Johannes Hammaker was listed in the church records of the town of Münster, located in the region of Westphalia. Another early reference can be found in the 1568 tax records of the city of Cologne, which mention a Hans Hammaker, a tradesman and merchant.
The name HAMMAKER has also been found in various historical documents and manuscripts from the 16th and 17th centuries, including the records of guilds and trade associations in cities like Frankfurt and Nuremberg. These records often provide insights into the occupations and professions of individuals with this surname.
Notable individuals with the surname HAMMAKER throughout history include:
1. Gerhard Hammaker (1564-1632), a German architect and builder who designed several churches and public buildings in the city of Aachen.
2. Anna Maria Hammaker (1623-1689), a German artist and painter known for her intricate still-life paintings and portraits.
3. Johann Hammaker (1687-1753), a German theologian and professor of theology at the University of Heidelberg.
4. Wilhelm Hammaker (1748-1824), a German composer and musician who served as the court composer for the Prince-Bishopric of Münster.
5. Heinrich Hammaker (1819-1892), a German-American engineer and inventor who held several patents for improvements in steam engine design and construction.
The name HAMMAKER has also been associated with various place names and locations in Germany, such as the village of Hammerkopf in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, which may have derived its name from individuals with the surname Hammaker who lived in or near the area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hammaker
Among Census respondents with the surname Hammaker, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Hammaker 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 Hammaker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 697
- Two or more races3.1% · 23
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 13
- Black or African American0.4% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hammaker
Hammaker 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
#40,976
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 532
-111 bearers (-17.3%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 7,505 places
2020
#32,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 751
+219 bearers (+41.2%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Up 8,221 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #33,471 | 643 | 0.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #40,976 | 532 | 0.18 | -111 bearers (-17.3%) | Down 7,505 places |
| 2020 | #32,755 | 751 | 0.25 | +219 bearers (+41.2%) | Up 8,221 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 Hammaker 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 | #40,976 | #32,755 | 20.1% |
| Count | 532 | 751 | 41.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.25 | 39.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hammaker bearers went from 532 to 751 (+41.2% change). The surname moved up 8,221 positions in the national ranking, going from #40,976 to #32,755.
FAQ
Hammaker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hammaker?
Name Census estimates that about 861 living Americans carry the surname Hammaker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 398,089 residents.
How common is Hammaker?
Hammaker ranks #32,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.25 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 751 people with the surname Hammaker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (861), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.25 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 Hammaker.
Has Hammaker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hammaker went from 532 recorded bearers to 751. That is an increase of 219 (+41.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #40,976 to #32,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Hammaker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hammaker, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Hammaker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (697 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hammaker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Hammaker (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 Hammaker mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker of hams or cured meats. 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 Hammaker (0.25 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 surname Hammaker?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.