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

Hamner, 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 Hamner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hamner in America

Hamner is the 9068th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hamner surname appeared 3,604 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 Hamner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hamner 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 Hamner

The surname Hamner has its origins in England, with records dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "ham" meaning a homestead or village, and "ær" meaning a dwelling place or house. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived in a particular hamlet or small settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1197, which mention a Robert de Hamner. Another early reference is in the Curia Regis Rolls of Wiltshire from 1214, which include a William Hamner.

The name appears to have been particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset in southwestern England during the Middle Ages. Variations in spelling, such as Hamnor and Hamnere, were common in medieval records due to the lack of standardized spelling at the time.

In the 13th century, a family bearing the name Hamner held lands near the village of Hamner in Somerset. This village likely took its name from the Old English words "ham" and "ær," suggesting a connection between the place name and the surname.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Hamner, a 15th-century knight from Gloucestershire who fought in the Wars of the Roses. He was born around 1420 and was a supporter of the House of York.

Another prominent figure was William Hamner, a 16th-century clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Lewes in Sussex from 1566 until his death in 1585.

In the 17th century, a John Hamner was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, representing James City County from 1642 to 1643.

In the 18th century, James Hamner (1714-1772) was a prominent Virginia planter and landowner who served as a justice of the peace and a member of the House of Burgesses.

During the 19th century, John Hamner (1802-1875) was a successful businessman and banker in Rockingham County, Virginia, who founded the town of Hamner in 1856.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hamner

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

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

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

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