2000
#24,146
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 974
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.36
Rare Last name
Hammar
A Swedish surname derived from the village name Hammar, meaning "crag" or "rocky ridge".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,185 Americans carry the last name Hammar. That puts it at #25,124 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 289,244 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hammar surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 289,244
Census rank
#25,124
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,033 bearers of the surname Hammar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25124th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hammar, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hammar
The surname HAMMAR is of Swedish origin, derived from the Old Norse word "hamarr" meaning "rock" or "crag." It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a prominent rock formation or in a rocky area.
The earliest known records of the HAMMAR surname date back to the 13th century in Sweden. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Ingrid Hammar, who was mentioned in a land registry document from the village of Hammarö in Värmland County, Sweden, in the year 1289.
In the 14th century, the HAMMAR surname appeared in various Swedish historical records, including the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian diplomas and letters. One notable individual from this period was Birger Hammar, a Swedish nobleman and landowner who lived in the late 1300s.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the HAMMAR surname was found in various parts of Sweden, including the regions of Småland, Västergötland, and Uppland. One notable figure from this period was Anders Hammar, a Swedish clergyman and poet who lived from 1608 to 1681.
In the 18th century, the HAMMAR surname gained prominence in the Swedish military. Johan Hammar (1714-1789) was a Swedish military officer who served in the Swedish Army during the Pomeranian War and the Seven Years' War.
The 19th century saw the HAMMAR surname spread to other parts of Scandinavia and Europe. August Hammar (1819-1889) was a Norwegian-Swedish engineer and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the Norwegian paper industry.
Other notable individuals with the HAMMAR surname throughout history include Johan Hammar (1892-1974), a Swedish architect who designed several notable buildings in Stockholm, and Torbjörn Hammar (born 1947), a Swedish footballer who played for several clubs in Sweden and represented the Swedish national team.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hammar
Among Census respondents with the surname Hammar, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Hammar bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Hammar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 960
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 23
- Two or more races2.2% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 9
- Black or African American0.8% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hammar
Hammar appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#26,949
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 900
-74 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Down 2,803 places
2020
#25,124
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,033
+133 bearers (+14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.35
Rank movement Up 1,825 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,146 | 974 | 0.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #26,949 | 900 | 0.31 | -74 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 2,803 places |
| 2020 | #25,124 | 1,033 | 0.35 | +133 bearers (+14.8%) | Up 1,825 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Hammar surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #26,949 | #25,124 | 6.8% |
| Count | 900 | 1,033 | 14.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.31 | 0.35 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hammar bearers went from 900 to 1,033 (+14.8% change). The surname moved up 1,825 positions in the national ranking, going from #26,949 to #25,124.
FAQ
Hammar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hammar?
Name Census estimates that about 1,185 living Americans carry the surname Hammar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 289,244 residents.
How common is Hammar?
Hammar ranks #25,124 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.35 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,033 people with the surname Hammar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,185), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.35 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Hammar.
Has Hammar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hammar went from 900 recorded bearers to 1,033. That is an increase of 133 (+14.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #26,949 to #25,124.
What does the Census say about the background of Hammar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hammar, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hammar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (960 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hammar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (2.2%), Two or More Races (2.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Hammar (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Hammar mean?
A Swedish surname derived from the village name Hammar, meaning "crag" or "rocky ridge". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Hammar (0.35 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Hammar?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.