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

Hemmer, 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 Hemmer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hemmer in America

Hemmer is the 12215th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hemmer surname appeared 2,549 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 Hemmer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hemmer 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 Hemmer

The surname HEMMER is of German origin, originating in the late medieval period. It is derived from the German word "hemmen," which means "to hinder" or "to restrain." This suggests that the name may have been given as an occupational surname to someone who worked as a gate-keeper or toll-collector, responsible for controlling the flow of traffic or goods.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, from the 14th century. In 1385, a man named Hans Hemmer is listed as a citizen of the town, indicating that the name was already established by that time.

During the 16th century, the name appears in various records across Germany, including in the city of Cologne, where a family named Hemmer owned a prominent brewery. This brewery was later acquired by the Sion family in the 17th century, but the name Hemmer continued to be associated with the brewing industry in the region.

In the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname HEMMER was Johann Jakob Hemmer (1733-1790), a German astronomer and mathematician. He was a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences in Berlin and made significant contributions to the study of comets and celestial mechanics.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Johann Jakob Hemmer (1772-1819), a Swiss painter and engraver. He was known for his landscapes and city views, particularly of Geneva and the surrounding areas.

In the 19th century, the name HEMMER gained recognition in the field of engineering. August Hemmer (1819-1901) was a German civil engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the first railway line between Leipzig and Dresden in the mid-1800s.

Moving into the 20th century, Hans Hemmer (1900-1960) was a German actor and film director who worked in both Germany and the United States. He appeared in several notable films, including "The Razor's Edge" (1946) and "The High and the Mighty" (1954).

Throughout its history, the surname HEMMER has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as Hemmerdorf, Hemmersbach, and Hemmingen, which may have influenced the development of the name or provided additional context for its origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hemmer

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

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

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

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