Explore the Family Name Ham
The meaning of Ham
1. English (mainly southwestern) and German: variant of Hamm. 2. Dutch: topographic name from ham ‘land in a river bend’, ‘enclosed meadow’, or a habitational name from any of several country houses and places called De(n) Ham. Compare Van Ham and Vanderham. 3. French: habitational name from any of various places in northern France (Ardennes, Pas-de-Calais, Somme, Moselle) named with the ancient Germanic word ham ‘meadow in the bend of a river, water meadow, flood plain’. 4. Hungarian (Hám), Slovak (also Hám), and Croatian: nickname or occupational name from Hungarian hám (Croatian ham) ‘harness’. Alternatively, it may be of German origin (see Hamm). 5. Slovenian: perhaps a nickname from the interjection ham ‘bite, grab’. Alternatively, it may be from dialect ham ‘harness’ (see 4 above) or of German origin (see Hamm). 6. Czech (also Hám): from a short form of the personal name Abraham. 7. Korean: there is only one Chinese character for the Ham surname. Some sources report that there are sixty different Ham clans, but only the Kangnŭng Ham clan can be documented. Although some records have been lost and a few generations are unaccounted for, it is known that the founding ancestor of the Ham clan is Ham Kyu, a Koryŏ general who fought against the Mongol invaders in the thirteenth century. His ancestor, Ham Hyŏk, was a Tang Chinese general who stayed in Korea after Tang China helped Shilla unify the peninsula during the seventh century. Another of Ham Hyŏk’s ancestors, Ham Shin, accompanied Kim Chu-wŏn, the founding ancestor of the Kangnŭng Kim family, to the Kangnŭng area, and hence the Ham clan became the Kangnŭng Ham clan. The first prominent ancestor from Kangnŭng whose genealogy can be verified is Ham Kyu, the Koryŏ general. Accordingly, he is regarded as the Kangnŭng Ham clan’s founding ancestor. Compare Hahm 2. 8. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 咸, see Xian 2. 9. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surname 闞, see Kan 1. 10. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 范, see Fan 1. 11. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 譚, see Tan 1. 12. Chinese: possibly from Cantonese form of the Chinese name 涵 (meaning ‘contain’), a monosyllabic personal name or part of a disyllabic personal name of some early Chinese immigrants in the US. Some characteristic forenames: Korean Young, Ok, Nam, Chul, Eun Hee, Eun Young, Hae Jung, Il Hwa.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Ham in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Ham" slightly fluctuated between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, "Ham" was the 2,103rd most popular surname, but by 2010, it had dropped to the 2,133rd spot, marking a 1.43% decrease in rank. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the "Ham" surname increased from 15,843 in 2000 to 16,980 by 2010, a rise of 7.18%. The proportion per 100,000 people also saw a minor decrease of 1.87%, going down from 5.87 to 5.76.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,103 | #2,133 | -1.43% |
| Count | 15,843 | 16,980 | 7.18% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.87 | 5.76 | -1.87% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ham
Regarding ethnic identity associated with the surname "Ham", the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts between 2000 and 2010. It appears that more Asians/Pacific Islanders adopted the surname during this period, with a percentage increase from 14.11% to 16.41%. The percentages of those identifying as two or more races saw a small increase from 1.62% to 1.66%. Meanwhile, the percentage of White individuals with the "Ham" surname decreased from 69.72% to 66.22%. The Hispanic community experienced the most significant increase, jumping from 2.39% to 3.69%. There was a slight decrease for Black individuals from 11.72% to 11.61%, and a more substantial decrease among American Indian and Alaskan Natives, from 0.44% to 0.40%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 69.72% | 66.22% | -5.02% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 14.11% | 16.41% | 16.3% |
| Black | 11.72% | 11.61% | -0.94% |
| Hispanic | 2.39% | 3.69% | 54.39% |
| Two or More Races | 1.62% | 1.66% | 2.47% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.44% | 0.4% | -9.09% |
Ham ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Ham is British & Irish, which comprises 53.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.9%) and Korean (5.7%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Chinese, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 53.4% |
| French & German | 18.9% |
| Korean | 5.7% |
| Other | 22.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Ham
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Ham have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 78.80% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 78.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 78.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 78.60% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 78.30% |
What Ham haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Ham is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-M405 and R-Z156, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hamm, Sadler, Dick, Porter, Schilling, Graves, Schumacher, Hartmann, Mathias, Brett.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Ham surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Ham have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Ham" Surname 37.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Ham" Surname 25.6%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Ham" Surname 25.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Ham" Surname 18.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Ham?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Ham are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition