2000
#7,473
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.52
Rare Last name
Hammon
Derived from a place name meaning "flat-topped rock" in Old English, or from a nickname meaning "hammer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,805 Americans carry the last name Hammon. That puts it at #7,616 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,333 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hammon 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 Hammon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 71,333
Census rank
#7,616
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,190 bearers of the surname Hammon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7616th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hammon, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hammon
The surname Hammon is of Old English origin, derived from the personal name Hammond, a combination of the elements "ham" meaning home and "mund" meaning protection. It is believed to have originated in the region of Wessex, England, during the Anglo-Saxon period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hammon can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Hamund" and "Hamo." This suggests that the name was well-established in England by the 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name Hammon was often associated with certain locations, such as the village of Hammondsham in Somerset, England. This village likely derived its name from an early bearer of the Hammon surname.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named William Hammon (c.1230-1295) served as the Sheriff of Oxfordshire and held lands in the area. He is mentioned in various historical records from that period.
Another early bearer of the name was Sir John Hammon (c.1350-1420), a member of the English gentry and a landowner in Gloucestershire. He played a role in the local governance of the region during the late 14th and early 15th centuries.
During the Tudor period, a prominent figure named Robert Hammon (c.1510-1580) was a merchant and alderman in the City of London. He is recorded as having been involved in various trade and civic affairs of the time.
In the 17th century, a clergyman named Benjamin Hammon (1625-1689) held the position of Rector of St. Mary's Church in Sutton, Surrey. He is known for his published sermons and writings on religious matters.
Across the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was that of Thomas Hammon (c.1630-1690), an early settler in Eastham, Massachusetts. He is noted as one of the founders of the town and played a role in its early development.
Throughout history, the surname Hammon has also been spelled in various ways, including Hammond, Hamond, and Hamon, reflecting regional variations and evolutions in spelling conventions over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hammon
Among Census respondents with the surname Hammon, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hammon 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 Hammon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.5% · 3,584
- Black or African American6.5% · 274
- Two or more races3.7% · 156
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 136
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 23
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hammon
Hammon 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
#7,520
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,424
+315 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Down 47 places
2020
#7,616
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,190
-234 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Down 96 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,473 | 4,109 | 1.52 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,520 | 4,424 | 1.50 | +315 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 47 places |
| 2020 | #7,616 | 4,190 | 1.40 | -234 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 96 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 Hammon 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 | #7,520 | #7,616 | -1.3% |
| Count | 4,424 | 4,190 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.50 | 1.40 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hammon bearers went from 4,424 to 4,190 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 96 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,520 to #7,616.
FAQ
Hammon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hammon?
Name Census estimates that about 4,805 living Americans carry the surname Hammon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,333 residents.
How common is Hammon?
Hammon ranks #7,616 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.40 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 4,190 people with the surname Hammon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,805), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.40 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 Hammon.
Has Hammon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hammon went from 4,424 recorded bearers to 4,190. That is a decrease of 234 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,520 to #7,616.
What does the Census say about the background of Hammon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hammon, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Hammon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.5% (3,584 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hammon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.5%), Black (6.5%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Hammon (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 Hammon mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "flat-topped rock" in Old English, or from a nickname meaning "hammer." 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 Hammon (1.40 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 share the surname Hammon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.