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

Hammes, 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 Hammes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hammes in America

Hammes is the 13603rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hammes surname appeared 2,227 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Hammes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hammes 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 Hammes

The surname Hammes originated in Germany, tracing its roots back to the 8th or 9th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "ham," which meant "home" or "village." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a particular hamlet or village.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Hammes name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony. This reference dates back to the 11th century, indicating the name's long-standing presence in German history.

During the Middle Ages, the name Hammes appeared in various forms, including Hamme, Hamen, and Hames, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common at the time. It is also possible that the name was associated with certain place names, such as Hamm, a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Notable individuals who bore the Hammes surname throughout history include Johann Hammes (1562-1638), a German Lutheran theologian and author; Hans Hammes (1873-1945), a German politician and member of the Reichstag; and Wilhelmina Hammes (1871-1954), a Dutch painter known for her landscapes and still-life works.

Another figure of historical significance was Peter Hammes (1837-1918), a German-American Catholic priest and educator who played a pivotal role in establishing parochial schools in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In the realm of literature, the name Hammes is associated with Gerhard Hammes (1927-2003), a German author and poet who was celebrated for his lyrical works, including the collection "Gedichte" (Poems).

It is important to note that the Hammes surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, scholars, politicians, and religious figures, contributing to the rich tapestry of German and European cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hammes

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

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

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

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