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

Tamm, 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 Tamm surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tamm in America

Tamm is the 31906th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tamm surname appeared 723 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tamm.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tamm 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 Tamm

The surname TAMM is of German origin, traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have stemmed from the German word "Damm," meaning "dam" or "dike," suggesting a possible association with individuals who lived near or worked on dams or dikes.

The earliest known records of the TAMM surname can be found in various German regions, particularly in areas like Bavaria and Saxony. One of the earliest documented instances is from the town of Nürnberg in the late 1500s, where a family with the surname TAMM was registered in local records.

In the 17th century, the TAMM surname appeared in several historical documents, including tax records and church registries. For example, a merchant named Johann TAMM was mentioned in the records of the city of Leipzig in 1632, indicating the name's presence among tradespeople and urban dwellers.

One notable figure bearing the TAMM surname was Johann Christian TAMM (1777-1860), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Berlin. His works on ethics and moral philosophy were widely influential in his time.

Another individual of historical significance was Carl Gustav TAMM (1838-1905), a Swedish chemist and entrepreneur. He founded the company Eka Химическая Компания (Eka Chemical Company) in Russia, which became a leading producer of chemicals and explosives in the late 19th century.

In the field of physics, Igor Yevgenyevich TAMM (1895-1971) was a prominent Soviet physicist and Nobel laureate. He made significant contributions to the development of quantum mechanics and nuclear physics, receiving the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1958 for his work on the theory of the atomic nucleus.

The TAMM surname also appeared in historical records related to place names. For instance, the village of Tamm in the German state of Baden-Württemberg is believed to have derived its name from the surname, indicating the presence of TAMM families in the area.

While the TAMM surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, thanks to migration and various historical events. Variations in spelling, such as TAM and THAM, can also be found in some regions, reflecting local linguistic influences and adaptations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tamm

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!