2000
#116,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Hamren
A Swedish surname derived from the Old Norse word for "hammer," likely referring to an ancestor who worked as a blacksmith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 174 Americans carry the last name Hamren. That puts it at #120,164 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,969,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hamren 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.
Bearers in the US
174
1 in 1,969,853
Census rank
#120,164
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
152
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 152 bearers of the surname Hamren in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 120164th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamren, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hamren
The surname "Hamren" is of Swedish origin, derived from the Old Norse words "hamarr" meaning "hammer" and "renna" meaning "ridge" or "stream." It likely originated in the medieval period in Sweden, referring to someone who lived near a hammer-shaped ridge or a stream associated with a blacksmith's workshop.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Hamren" can be found in the Dalabergslagen mining district in Dalarna, Sweden, where it was used to identify families living in the area as early as the 16th century. The name was also documented in the parish records of Garpenberg and Hedemora in the same region during the 17th and 18th centuries.
In the 19th century, the surname "Hamren" was associated with several notable individuals. Johan Hamren (1819-1891) was a Swedish painter known for his landscape and genre paintings. He studied at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts and exhibited his works at the Salon in Paris.
Another notable bearer of the name was Carl Hamren (1856-1935), a Swedish politician and member of the Riksdag (Swedish parliament). He served as a member of the Second Chamber of the Riksdag from 1900 to 1911, representing the county of Västernorrland.
In the 20th century, Sven Hamren (1900-1977) was a Swedish football player who represented Sweden in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. He played as a defender for the Swedish club AIK and was part of the team that won the Swedish championship in 1923.
Erik Hamren (born 1957) is a Swedish football manager and former player. He played as a midfielder for several Swedish clubs, including IFK Göteborg and Örgryte IS. After his playing career, he managed the Swedish national team from 2009 to 2016.
Lastly, Anna Hamren (born 1974) is a Swedish cross-country skier and Olympic medalist. She won a silver medal in the 4x5 km relay event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
Overall, the surname "Hamren" has a rich history in Sweden, with its origins dating back to medieval times and numerous notable bearers of the name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hamren
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamren, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Hamren 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 Hamren surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 141
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 3
- Two or more races2.0% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hamren
Hamren 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
-6 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 12,126 places
2020
#120,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 152
+19 bearers (+14.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 8,085 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,123 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | -6 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 12,126 places |
| 2020 | #120,164 | 152 | 0.05 | +19 bearers (+14.3%) | Up 8,085 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 Hamren 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 | #128,249 | #120,164 | 6.3% |
| Count | 133 | 152 | 14.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 1.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hamren bearers went from 133 to 152 (+14.3% change). The surname moved up 8,085 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #120,164.
FAQ
Hamren surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hamren?
Name Census estimates that about 174 living Americans carry the surname Hamren. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,969,853 residents.
How common is Hamren?
Hamren ranks #120,164 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 152 people with the surname Hamren. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (174), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Hamren.
Has Hamren become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hamren went from 133 recorded bearers to 152. That is an increase of 19 (+14.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #128,249 to #120,164.
What does the Census say about the background of Hamren?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hamren, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%). 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 Hamren in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (141 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hamren appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (2.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%). 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 Hamren (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 Hamren mean?
A Swedish surname derived from the Old Norse word for "hammer," likely referring to an ancestor who worked as a blacksmith. 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 Hamren (0.05 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 are called Hamren?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Hamren is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.