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

Hampson, 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 Hampson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hampson in America

Hampson is the 11801st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hampson surname appeared 2,653 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 Hampson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hampson 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 Hampson

The surname Hampson is of English origin, deriving from the medieval given name Hammon or Hamon, a diminutive form of the Old German name Haimo. This name ultimately stems from the Germanic word "haim," meaning home or dwelling.

Hampson is believed to have originated in the northern English counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire during the 12th and 13th centuries. It was initially spelled in various ways, such as Hamondsone, Hammondson, and Hamundson, before evolving into its modern form.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1201, which mention a Roger Hamund. The Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166 also reference a Hamundus de Torneton.

In the 13th century, the Hampson surname was associated with several landholdings in Lancashire, including Hampson Hall in Longridge and Hampson Fold in Billinge. These place names likely influenced the spelling and spread of the surname.

Notable people with the Hampson surname include:

1. Robert Hampson (c.1462-1508), an English priest and academic who served as the Chancellor of Oxford University.

2. Thomas Hampson (born 1955), an American operatic baritone known for his performances in operas by composers like Mozart, Verdi, and Mahler.

3. Sir George Francis Hampson (1860-1936), a British entomologist and civil servant who made significant contributions to the study of moths.

4. William Hampson (1785-1857), an English engineer and inventor, best known for his contributions to the development of the spinning mule for cotton spinning.

5. John Hampson (1760-1817), an English clergyman and biographer who wrote the first comprehensive biography of the poet John Dryden.

While the Hampson surname has spread globally due to migration and intermarriage, its roots can be traced back to the northern counties of England, where it emerged as a patronymic name derived from the Old German personal name Haimo.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hampson

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

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

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

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