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

Hammond, 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 Hammond surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hammond in America

Hammond is the 481st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hammond surname appeared 69,515 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 24 people would have the surname Hammond.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hammond 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 Hammond

The surname Hammond originates from England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "ham" meaning a homestead or village, and "dun" meaning a hill or low ridge. Thus, Hammond essentially means "one who lived by the homestead on a hill."

The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex in East Anglia, where many places bear names containing the elements "ham" and "dun." One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk from 1273, where it appears as "Hamund."

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries for individuals with names that may have been early variations of Hammond, such as "Hamo" and "Hamund."

Some notable individuals with the surname Hammond throughout history include:

1. John Hammond (c. 1555-1617), a prominent English physician and writer on philosophy and theology.
2. Samuel Hammond (1757-1842), an American Revolutionary War soldier and politician from Virginia.
3. William Alexander Hammond (1828-1900), an American neurologist and Civil War surgeon who was a pioneering figure in the fields of neurology and psychiatry.
4. John Hays Hammond Jr. (1888-1965), an American mining engineer, diplomat, and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of the mining industry in South Africa and the United States.
5. John Henry Hammond Jr. (1910-1987), an influential American record producer and talent scout who is credited with discovering and promoting many important musicians, including Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, and Bob Dylan.

Over time, the name Hammond has also been associated with various place names, such as Hammond in Indiana, which was named after George Hammond, an early settler in the area. Additionally, variations in spelling, including Hammon, Hamond, and Hamon, have been recorded throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hammond

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

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

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

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