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Hamer History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Hamer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The ancestral home of the Hamer family is in Austria, where the surname first emerged almost a millennium ago. The name Hamer is a contraction of the German "Hammerschmied," meaning "blacksmith," and was most likely first borne by someone who held this occupation. Alternatively, the name may be derived from the place name "Hammel;" in this instance, the name would refer to someone hailing from the town of Hammel.

According to Grimm and Forstemann, Hammer or Hamer is "a name under which traces of Thor are still to be found in the popular speech of Germany, and it is derived, no doubt, from the celebrated hammer or mallet which he wielded." 1

Early Origins of the Hamer family

The surname Hamer was first found in southern Germany and Austria, where the family became noted for its many branches throughout these regions. The first individual bearers of this name to be mentioned in ancient chronicles were "meister Hemer der smed (smith)" of Breslau, Silesia, in 1356, Hensl Hemerl of Iglau, Bohemia, in 1425, Ulrich Hamerl of Prague in 1390, and Nicolas Hamer of Worms in 1317.

Early History of the Hamer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hamer research. Another 197 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1791, 1820 and 1836 are included under the topic Early Hamer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hamer Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Hamer include Hammer, Hammerer, Hamer, Hahmmer, Hahmer, Haammer, Haamer, Hammerer, Haemmerlein, Haemmerle, Hemmerle, Hammerl, Hamerl, Hemmerling, Hammerling, Hemerl, Hemer, Haemmer, Haemmerl and many more.

Early Notables of the Hamer family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Hamer were Baron Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall, who was a famous linguist and orientalist. He spent 50 years acquiring a vast library of the rarest and most valuable works of oriental...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hamer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hamer Ranking

In the United States, the name Hamer is the 3,573^rd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 3

Hamer migration to the United States +

After the First World War, Austria became a republic. The Treaty of Versailles broke up the empire in 1919 and many of the Sudeten Germans were incorporated into the new nation of Czechoslovakia. In the 20th century, many Austrians migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Hamer were

Hamer Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Percy and Raphe Hamer, who settled in Virginia in 1626
Edward Hamer, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 4
Pee Hamer, who landed in Virginia in 1653 4

Hamer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Peter Hamer, who landed in New York in 1709 4
Johann Henrich Hamer, who arrived in New York, NY in 1710 4
Fredk Hamer, aged 35, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 4
Jacob Hamer, aged 16, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 4
Sebastian Hamer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hamer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

B Hamer, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1802 4
Hannah Hamer, aged 23, who landed in Kennebunk, Me in 1830 4
Richard Hamer, aged 34, who arrived in Kennebunk, Me in 1830 4
Mary Hamer, aged 2, who arrived in Kennebunk, Me in 1830 4
John Hamer, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1846 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hamer migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Hamer Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Henry Hamer, (b. 1815), aged 28, English weaver who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 10 years for uttering forged notes, transported aboard the "Cressy" on 28th April 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1851 5
Mr. John Hamer, English convict who was convicted in Bolton, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emerald Isle" on 28th June 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6
Mr. Joseph Hamer, (b. 1814), aged 31, English dyer who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for life, transported aboard the "David Malcolm" on 13th May 1845, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) and Norfolk Island, he died in 1884 7
John Hamer, aged 54, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Admiral Boxer"
Elizabeth Ann Hamer, aged 22, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Admiral Boxer"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hamer migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Hamer Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas Hamer, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1840
Thomas Hamer, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Cashmere" in 1851 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Hamer (post 1700) +

Francis Augustus "Frank" Hamer (1884-1955), American Texas Ranger, famous for organizing the posse and tracking down and killing Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in 1934
Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977), American civil rights leader, co-founder and vice-chair of the Freedom Democratic Party, posthumously inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993
Rusty Hamer (1947-1990), born Russell Craig Hamer, an American television actor, best known for his role as "Rusty" on Make Room for Daddy (1953-1964)
Dean Hamer (b. 1951), American geneticist
Dale Hamer, American NFL football official
Walter Jay Hamer (b. 1907), American chemist and an authority in the field of electrochemistry
Sara Hamer, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maryland, 2004 9
S. B. Hamer, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from West Virginia, 1916 9
Richard Hamer, American politician, Member of Minnesota State Senate 55th District, 1919-22 9
James Willis Hamer, American politician, Member of South Carolina State Senate from Dillon County, 1931-38 9
... (Another 18 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Hamer Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Per labores ad honores
Motto Translation: By work and honour.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st May 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cressy
Convict Records Voyages to Australia. Retrieved 25th March 2022 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emerald-isle
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-malcolm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html