Explore the Family Name Hammer
The meaning of Hammer
1. German, English, and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from Middle High German hamer, Yiddish hamer, a metonymic occupational name for a maker or user of hammers, for example in a forge, or a nickname for a forceful person. As an English surname, the derivation from Middle English ham(m)er, hamor ‘hammer’ (Old English hamor) is formally possible, either as a metonymic occupational name or as a locative or occupational name taken from a shop sign or inn sign. However, there is no evidence that such appellations became hereditary surnames. The surname of German origin (possibly also in the sense 2 below) is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine). 2. English and German: topographic name for someone who lived in an area of water meadow, or flat, low-lying alluvial land beside a stream, Middle English ham(me), Old English hamm, Old High German ham (see Hamm) + the English and German agent suffix -er. In England, names composed of a topographic term + -er are characteristic of southern England, especially Kent, Sussex, Surrey, and Hampshire. 3. English: possibly a variant of Hanmer, and in northern England a variant of Hamer. 4. Norwegian: variant of Hamar. 5. Germanized or Americanized form of Slovenian or Croatian Hamer ‘hammer’, itself of German origin (see 1 above).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hammer in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Hammer" saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Hammer was ranked as the 1491st most popular surname, but by 2010, it had fallen to the 1661st position, representing an overall shift of -11.4%. The count of people with this surname also declined slightly, from 21,947 in 2000 to 21,709 in 2010, a change of -1.08%. Consequently, the proportion of the surname Hammer per 100k people dropped by -9.58%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,491 | #1,661 | -11.4% |
| Count | 21,947 | 21,709 | -1.08% |
| Proportion per 100k | 8.14 | 7.36 | -9.58% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hammer
The Decennial U.S. Census also provides insights into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Hammer. Between 2000 and 2010, there was a notable increase in the Hispanic community carrying the Hammer surname, from 1.60% to 2.47%, a significant jump of 54.37%. Similarly, those identifying as two or more races and bearing the surname rose by 28.99% while the Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native communities also saw minor increases. Conversely, the percentage of white individuals with the Hammer surname dropped by -1.56%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.29% | 92.82% | -1.56% |
| Hispanic | 1.6% | 2.47% | 54.37% |
| Two or More Races | 1.38% | 1.78% | 28.99% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.32% | 1.45% | 9.85% |
| Black | 0.91% | 0.95% | 4.4% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.51% | 0.53% | 3.92% |
Hammer 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 Hammer is British & Irish, which comprises 38.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (27.4%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (9.1%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 38.0% |
| French & German | 27.4% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 9.1% |
| Other | 25.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Hammer
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 Hammer have recent ancestry locations in United Kingdom and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 74.50% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 74.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 74.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 74.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 74.20% |
What Hammer 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 Hammer 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-P311 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Lloyd, Mathews, Davis, Matthews, Fox, Thomas, Smith, Winter, Phillips, Richards.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Hammer surname are: H1, H3, 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 Hammer 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.
"Hammer" Surname 42.0%
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.
"Hammer" Surname 20.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Hammer" Surname 20.2%
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.
"Hammer" Surname 18.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Hammer?
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 Hammer are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition