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Hammer Family History

Hammer Name Meaning

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). 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. English: possibly a variant of Hanmer and in northern England a variant of Hamer . Norwegian: variant of Hamar . Germanized or Americanized form of Slovenian or Croatian Hamer ‘hammer’ itself of German origin (see 1 above).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Hamer, Hamm, Hammel, Sommer, Hader, Kammer, Ammer, Hamper, Kummer

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Where is the Hammer family from?

You can see how Hammer families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hammer family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hammer families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 118 Hammer families living in Ontario. This was about 49% of all the recorded Hammer's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Hammer families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hammer surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Hammer ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Nurse were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Hammer. 50% of Hammer men worked as a Farmer and 60% of Hammer women worked as a Nurse. Some less common occupations for Americans named Hammer were Carpenter and Domestic. .

View Census Data for Hammer | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    50%
  • Farmers Son
    17%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Carpenter
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Nurse
    60%
  • Domestic
    40%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Hammer family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 113,000 census records available for the last name Hammer. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hammer census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Hammer

Passenger Lists

There are 20,000 immigration records available for the last name Hammer. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 31,000 military records available for the last name Hammer. For the veterans among your Hammer ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Hammer lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Hammer life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Hammer in 1944 was 32, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Hammer

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