NameCensus.

UK surname

Hammer

An occupational surname referring to a maker or user of hammers.

In the 1881 census there were 224 people recorded with the Hammer surname, ranking it #11,970 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 347, ranked #13,259, down from #11,970 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Roach and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Bedford and Wellingborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hammer is 398 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 54.9%.

1881 census count

224

Ranked #11,970

Modern count

347

2016, ranked #13,259

Peak year

1891

398 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hammer had 224 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,970 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 347 in 2016, ranked #13,259.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 398 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Hammer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hammer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hammer 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 270 #8,275
1861 historical 379 #6,739
1881 historical 224 #11,970
1891 historical 398 #8,910
1901 historical 250 #13,136
1911 historical 381 #9,635
1997 modern 286 #13,942
1998 modern 306 #13,720
1999 modern 308 #13,722
2000 modern 287 #14,345
2001 modern 273 #14,614
2002 modern 292 #14,236
2003 modern 278 #14,540
2004 modern 275 #14,717
2005 modern 281 #14,411
2006 modern 271 #14,880
2007 modern 275 #14,888
2008 modern 284 #14,687
2009 modern 290 #14,778
2010 modern 296 #14,877
2011 modern 292 #14,863
2012 modern 319 #13,898
2013 modern 329 #13,810
2014 modern 339 #13,581
2015 modern 347 #13,252
2016 modern 347 #13,259

Geography

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Where Hammers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Roach, Lambeth and St Austell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Bedford, Wellingborough, Barnet and Central Bedfordshire. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Roach Cornwall
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St Austell Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 031 Cornwall
2 Bedford 003 Bedford
3 Wellingborough 001 Wellingborough
4 Barnet 035 Barnet
5 Central Bedfordshire 008 Central Bedfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hammer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hammer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Hammer, 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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Hammer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Hammer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Hammer is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Hammer is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Hammer falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Hammer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Hammer

The surname Hammer is of German origin, derived from the German word "Hammer" which means "hammer" or "sledgehammer". It is an occupational name that originally referred to a blacksmith or metalworker who worked with a hammer.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. In some areas, the name was also spelled as "Hamer" or "Hamar".

One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a 13th-century cartulary from the German region of Westphalia, where a person named "Conradus Hamer" is mentioned.

During the Middle Ages, the Hammer surname was particularly prevalent in the town of Hammerstein, located in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany. This town likely derived its name from the presence of local blacksmiths or hammer-workers.

In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the name was Johannes Hammer, a German theologian and philosopher from Bavaria who lived from around 1350 to 1420.

Another early prominent individual with the surname was Johannes Hammer, a German printer and publisher who lived from around 1410 to 1470 and was active in the city of Leipzig.

In the 16th century, Kaspar Hammer, a German mathematician and astronomer from Saxony, gained recognition for his contributions to the field of astronomy. He lived from around 1500 to 1562.

During the 17th century, the Hammer surname was also found in some regions of Switzerland, where it was often spelled as "Hämmer" or "Hämmerli".

In the 18th century, Johann Hammer, a German botanist and naturalist from Saxony, made significant contributions to the study of plants and natural history. He lived from 1714 to 1794.

As the surname spread across German-speaking regions, it eventually made its way to other parts of Europe and later to the Americas, where it was adopted by immigrants and their descendants.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hammer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hammer 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. Cornwall leads with 50 Hammers recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.12x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 50 20.12x
Middlesex 41 1.87x
Lancashire 22 0.84x
Kent 20 2.67x
Staffordshire 13 1.75x
Yorkshire 13 0.60x
Lincolnshire 11 3.13x
Shropshire 10 5.27x
Glamorgan 9 2.36x
Cheshire 5 1.03x
Northumberland 5 1.53x
Surrey 5 0.47x
Devon 4 0.88x
Warwickshire 4 0.72x
Worcestershire 3 1.05x
Essex 2 0.46x
Hampshire 2 0.44x
Rutland 2 12.41x
Sussex 2 0.54x
Channel Islands 1 1.54x
Dorset 1 0.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Austell in Cornwall leads with 32 Hammers recorded in 1881 and an index of 376.91x.

Place Total Index
St Austell 32 376.91x
Deptford St Paul 14 24.24x
Gt Ness 9 1836.73x
Islington London 6 2.82x
Roche 6 476.19x
Sheffield 6 8.67x
St George In East London 6 29.07x
Blackburn 5 7.22x
Camborne 5 48.83x
Folkingham 5 1162.79x
Liverpool 5 3.16x
Llanwonno 5 36.42x
Shoreditch London 5 5.26x
St Ive 5 314.47x
St Marylebone London 5 4.27x
Walsall Foreign 5 13.07x
Aston 4 2.62x
Paddington London 4 4.96x
Spitalfields London 4 24.23x
Wallsend 4 38.61x
Wolborough 4 69.20x
Deal 3 46.95x
Little Bolton 3 8.96x
North Meols 3 11.77x
Old Sleaford 3 750.00x
Yardley 3 40.93x
Barthomley 2 714.29x
Bradford 2 3.80x
Camberwell 2 1.43x
Charlton Next Woolwich 2 25.61x
Great Barr 2 235.29x
Harborne 2 8.42x
Kensington London 2 1.64x
Ketton 2 238.10x
Mile End Old Town London 2 4.28x
New Sleaford 2 88.89x
Northowram 2 13.11x
Norton Canes 2 74.07x
Penge 2 14.27x
St Dennis 2 215.05x
Whitechapel London 2 9.25x
Witton 2 60.98x
Ystradyfodwg 2 5.97x
Aberdare 1 3.81x
Barking 1 7.89x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 5.10x
Battersea 1 1.24x
Birkenhead 1 2.59x
Brighton 1 1.34x
Burnley 1 4.56x
Burslem 1 4.71x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 2.26x
Fordington 1 32.26x
Great Grimsby 1 4.49x
Harrow On The Hill 1 22.83x
Harwick St Nicholas 1 147.06x
Hove 1 6.16x
Little Houghton 1 714.29x
Lower Whitley 1 625.00x
Manningham 1 3.73x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 2.72x
Milton In Gravesend 1 8.90x
Newchurch 1 4.69x
North Shields 1 15.34x
Poplar London 1 2.41x
Portsea 1 1.13x
Prees 1 43.29x
Southampton St Mary 1 3.53x
St Andrew Holborn London 1 10.53x
St Paul Covent Garden 1 45.45x
St Peter Port 1 8.31x
Upton In Chester 1 185.19x
Westminster St James 1 4.43x
Widnes 1 5.32x
Wolverhampton 1 1.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Elizabeth 10
Sarah 6
Jane 5
Alice 4
Annie 4
Eliza 4
Anne 3
Helen 3
Susan 3
Amelia 2
Ann 2
Anna 2
Catherine 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Maria 2
Annia 1
Barbara 1
Bessie 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
Elise 1
Emma 1
Fredrica 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Henrietta 1
Hester 1
Jessie 1
Joanna 1
Kathrine 1
Lilian 1
Louise 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Marian 1
Martha 1
Mathew 1
Mennie 1
Nellie 1
Rachael 1
Ruth 1
Sina 1
Sophia 1
Susahanne 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 13
John 12
Henry 8
Charles 7
George 6
James 6
Philip 5
Richard 5
Thomas 5
Edward 4
Fred 4
Frederick 2
Jacob 2
Joseph 2
Louis 2
Sampson 2
Samuel 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Benjamin 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Emile 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Ishmael 1
Jack 1
Job 1
Johan 1
Michael 1
O. 1
P. 1
Patrick 1
Percy 1
Phillip 1
Rudolph 1
Sophia 1
Stephen 1
Stuart 1
Thos. 1
Timothy 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Hammer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hammer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 224 people were recorded with the Hammer surname. That placed it at #11,970 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hammer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 347 in 2016. That gives Hammer a modern rank of #13,259.

What does the Hammer surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a maker or user of hammers.

What does the Hammer map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Hammer 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.