NameCensus.

UK surname

Hamm

Derived from the Old English "hamm," referring to someone who lived near or worked on a farm or homestead.

In the 1881 census there were 105 people recorded with the Hamm surname, ranking it #19,183 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 574, ranked #9,007, up from #19,183 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Edmonton and Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, Monmouthshire and Stockton-on-Tees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hamm is 580 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 446.7%.

1881 census count

105

Ranked #19,183

Modern count

574

2016, ranked #9,007

Peak year

2013

580 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hamm had 105 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,183 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 574 in 2016, ranked #9,007.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 344 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Hamm surname distribution map

The map shows where the Hamm surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Hamm surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hamm over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 57 #23,092
1861 historical 83 #23,189
1881 historical 105 #19,183
1891 historical 156 #17,842
1901 historical 258 #12,875
1911 historical 344 #10,386
1997 modern 508 #9,195
1998 modern 533 #9,135
1999 modern 553 #8,945
2000 modern 534 #9,157
2001 modern 530 #9,055
2002 modern 515 #9,443
2003 modern 502 #9,460
2004 modern 528 #9,144
2005 modern 511 #9,297
2006 modern 522 #9,183
2007 modern 527 #9,193
2008 modern 529 #9,229
2009 modern 551 #9,155
2010 modern 557 #9,270
2011 modern 569 #9,030
2012 modern 547 #9,203
2013 modern 580 #8,955
2014 modern 570 #9,123
2015 modern 569 #9,059
2016 modern 574 #9,007

Geography

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Where Hamms are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Edmonton, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Giles-in-the-Fields. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, Monmouthshire, Stockton-on-Tees, East Hampshire and Suffolk Coastal. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Edmonton Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
3 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Giles-in-the-Fields London (Central Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 007 Forest of Dean
2 Monmouthshire 008 Monmouthshire
3 Stockton-on-Tees 008 Stockton-on-Tees
4 East Hampshire 003 East Hampshire
5 Suffolk Coastal 002 Suffolk Coastal

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hamm

These lists show first names that appear often with the Hamm surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hamm

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hamm, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Hamm surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Hamm household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hamm is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hamm is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hamm falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hamm is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Hamm, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Hamm

The surname Hamm originated in the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the Old English word "hamm" which referred to a meadow or pasture of land in a river bend. The name likely originated as a place name and eventually became a surname for those who lived in or near a meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of England and parts of Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry refers to a place called "Hamme" in Somerset.

In the 12th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "de Hamme" and "atte Hamme" indicating the place of origin. The earliest known bearer of the name was William de Hamme, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191.

The name Hamm was also associated with several place names in England, including Hamm in Staffordshire, Hamme in Dorset, and Ham in Surrey. The variations in spelling were common during the Middle Ages before English orthography became standardized.

Among the notable individuals with the surname Hamm throughout history are:

1. Johann Adam Hamm (1685-1756), a German mathematician and astronomer. 2. Margret Hamm (c. 1506-1589), a German Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake for her religious beliefs. 3. Thomas Hamm (c. 1587-1654), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Regius Professor of Hebrew at the University of Oxford. 4. John Hamm (c. 1714-1790), an English politician who served as the Mayor of Southampton in 1768. 5. Edward Hamm (1826-1888), an American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of St. Louis, Missouri.

The surname Hamm has been present in various parts of the world, including Germany, England, and the United States, reflecting the migration and dispersal of families over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hamm families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hamm surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 29 Hamms recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.80x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 29 2.80x
Surrey 19 3.77x
Essex 11 5.39x
Lincolnshire 10 6.05x
Yorkshire 10 0.98x
Gloucestershire 5 2.47x
Lanarkshire 4 1.20x
Devon 3 1.39x
Hampshire 3 1.42x
Monmouthshire 3 4.01x
Royal Navy 2 16.23x
Somerset 2 1.20x
Berkshire 1 1.29x
Kent 1 0.28x
Lancashire 1 0.08x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.72x
Worcestershire 1 0.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Botolph Lincoln in Lincolnshire leads with 10 Hamms recorded in 1881 and an index of 840.34x.

Place Total Index
St Botolph Lincoln 10 840.34x
Feering 9 3333.33x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 38.46x
St Pancras London 7 8.41x
Newington 6 15.71x
Kensington London 5 8.70x
Langfield 5 279.33x
Edmonton 4 48.02x
Govan 4 4.84x
Sandhurst 4 2500.00x
St Marylebone London 4 7.25x
Ilfracombe 3 135.14x
St George Bloomsbury 3 50.59x
St Woollos 3 35.97x
Battersea 2 5.26x
Ealing 2 21.65x
Northowram 2 27.86x
Portsea 2 4.82x
Rodney Stoke 2 1818.18x
Royal Navy 2 18.99x
Sheffield 2 6.13x
West Ham 2 4.44x
Aldershot 1 14.08x
Bourton On The Water 1 243.90x
Didcot 1 769.23x
Farnham 1 25.51x
Fulham London 1 6.67x
Greenwich 1 6.08x
Hackney London 1 1.73x
Hampstead London 1 6.21x
Hipperholme Cum 1 22.22x
Lambeth 1 1.11x
Nottingham St Mary 1 2.77x
Paddington London 1 2.63x
Pershore St Andrew 1 135.14x
Stoke 1 42.02x
Walton On Hill 1 15.04x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Hamm surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Annie 3
Elizabeth 3
Emily 3
Alice 2
Catherine 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Isabella 2
Jane 2
Mary 2
Sophia 2
A.M. 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Angelina 1
Caroline 1
Edith 1
Ellenor 1
Fanny 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Julia 1
Katherine 1
Kathleen 1
L.E. 1
Lavinia 1
Lucy 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
Rachel 1
Rebecka 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Salome 1
Sarah 1
Sussana 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Hamm surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 6
John 5
Alfred 4
Charles 4
James 3
Christopher 2
Cristopher 2
David 2
Edwin 2
Frederick 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
Arthur 1
Bertie 1
Christian 1
Ebenezer 1
Edward 1
F. 1
Harry 1
Isaac 1
Louis 1
Richard 1
T.C. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Hamm surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hamm surname in 1881?

In 1881, 105 people were recorded with the Hamm surname. That placed it at #19,183 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hamm surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 574 in 2016. That gives Hamm a modern rank of #9,007.

What does the Hamm surname mean?

Derived from the Old English "hamm," referring to someone who lived near or worked on a farm or homestead.

What does the Hamm map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Hamm bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.