Hamel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Hamel surname comes from an Old French word "hamel," which meant "homestead." It was likely first used as a name to describe someone who lived at a farm on the outskirts of a main town, or for someone that lived in a small village. 1
Early Origins of the Hamel family
The surname Hamel was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where this distinguished family held a family seat at Désert, Fougeroux, and St.-Etienne.
The name was first found in Normandy with Guillaume in 1066, and again with Richard in 1116. 2
They branched to the west at Bottelière in Brittany (French: Bretagne), and to the east to Artois where they held a family seat in Bellenglise, to St.-Rémy in Champagne where they were elevated to the Counts du Hamel. They also branched to Holland at Arnhem and Bois-le-duc. At Désert in Normandy they were elevated to the nobility in 1598. Many of the estates and titles were lost during the French Revolution which started in 1789.
Early History of the Hamel family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hamel research. The years 1624, 1700, 1706, 1762 and 1782 are included under the topic Early Hamel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Hamel Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Hamel, Hamell, Hamil, Hamill, Hammel, Hammell, Hammil, Hammill, Hamelin, Hamlin, du Hamel, du Hamell, duHamil, du Hamill, du Hammel, du Hammell, du Hammil and many more.
Early Notables of the Hamel family
Notable amongst the family in this period was
- Jean-Baptiste (Du Hamel, Duhamel or du Hamel) (1624-1706), a notable French cleric and natural philosopher and the first secretary of the Academie Royale des Sciences
Hamel World Ranking
In the United States, the name Hamel is the 2,972nd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 3 However, in Canada, the name Hamel is ranked the 216th most popular surname with an estimated 18,113 people with that name. 4 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Hamel is the 79th popular surname. 5 France ranks Hamel as 354th with 11,531 people. 6
Hamel migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Hamel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Christopher Hamel, who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1764
- Henry Jacob and Jon Hamel, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1764 and 1866
- Christopher Hamel also settled in Charles Town in 1764
Hamel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Louis Francois Hamel, who landed in Texas in 1835 7
- Mr. Julius Hamel, aged 17, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Neptune"
- Miss Sofia Hamel, aged 17, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Neptune"
- Jacob Hamel, aged 22, who landed in Missouri in 1847 7
- Juan Hamel, aged 40, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1849 7
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Hamel migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Hamel Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
- Charles, François, and Jean Hamel, who, who arrived in Quebec in 1656 from Normandy
- Catherine Lemaistre Hamel, who settled in Quebec in 1662
- Jean Hamel, son of Charles and Judith, who married Christine-Charlotte Gaudry, daughter of Nicolas and Agnès, in Quebec on 16th February 1677 8
- Jean-François Hamel, son of Jean and Marie, who married Anne-Félicité Levasseur, daughter of Jean and Marguerite, in Quebec on 23rd April 1685 8
Hamel Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Jean-Charles Hamel, son of Charles and Angélique, who married Marguerite Dubreuil, daughter of Jean-Etienne and Marguerite, in Sainte-Foy, Quebec on 23rd November 1711 8
- Jean Hamel, son of Jean and Christine-Charlotte, who married Marie-Anne Métot, daughter of Abraham and Marie-Madeleine, in Saint-Nicolas, Quebec on 17th August 1712 8
- Louis Hamel, son of Jean and Christine-Charlotte, who married Françoise Houde, daughter of Joseph and Louise-Angélique, in Quebec on 10th August 1716 8
- André Hamel, son of Charles and Angélique, who married Félicité Moreau, daughter of Michel and Madeleine, in Sainte-Foy, Quebec on 20th April 1717 8
- Pierre Hamel, son of Jean-François and Anne-Félicité, who married Marie-Anne Constantin, daughter of Pierre and Marguerite-Suzanne, in Sainte-Foy, Quebec on 26th April 1718 8
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Hamel Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- Miss. Catherine Hamel who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Lady Gordon" departing 14th April 1847 from Belfast, Ireland; the ship arrived on 20th June 41847 but she died on board 9
- Miss. Elizabeth Hamel, aged 8 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Marchioness of Bute" departing 10th June 1847 from Belfast, Ireland; the ship arrived on 31st July 1847 but she died on board 9
- Miss. Margaret Hamel who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Lady Gordon" departing 14th April 1847 from Belfast, Ireland; the ship arrived on 20th June 1847 but she died on board 9
- Miss. Maria Hamel, aged 4 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Marchioness of Bute" departing 10th June 1847 from Belfast, Ireland; the ship arrived on 31st July 1847 but she died on board 9
- Miss. Mary Hamel, aged 6 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "John Bolton" departing 13th April 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 10th June 1847 but she died on board 9
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Hamel migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Hamel Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- J. Hamel, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Hyde" in 1849 10
- Miss Susan Hamel, Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Duchess of Northumberland" on 25th November 1852, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
- Matilda Hamel, aged 24, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Royal Albert"
Contemporary Notables of the name Hamel (post 1700) +
- Veronica Hamel (b. 1943), American television actress
- Gary P. Hamel (b. 1954), American management expert
- Robert S. Hamel, American Republican politician, Candidate for Rhode Island State House of Representatives 68th District, 2002 12
- Robert F. Hamel, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Hampshire, 1964 12
- Kristen Hamel, American politician, Workers World Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives 1st District, 1996 12
- Kenneth A. Hamel, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1956, 1960 12
- Henry C. Hamel, American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Cabano, 1916 12
- George Hamel, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Maine State House of Representatives from Androscoggin County (1st), 1931-32 12
- Brian N. Hamel, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Maine 2nd District, 2004 12
- Barbara J. Hamel, American politician, Workers World Candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1996 12
- ... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Hamel family +
- Mr. George James Hamel, English Trimmer from Walton, Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 13
USS Arizona
- Mr. Don Edgar Hamel, American Field Musician from Illinois, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 14
Suggested Readings for the name Hamel +
- Gunderman and Wullenjohn Cousins with Hampel (also Hamel) and Noll Families by Barbara Chandler Spray.
- Hammel-Laufer Families, 1600's to 1978 by Martha Mae Schmidt.
Citations +
- Dionne, N.-E., Origine Des Familles Canadiennes-Français. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1969. Print.
- Hozier, Charles D, and Antoine Bachelin-Delforenne. État présent De La Noblesse française (1883-1887): Contenant Le Distionnaire De La Noblesse Contemporaine Et Larmorial général De France, Dapres Les Manuscrits De Ch. D Hozier. Librairie Des Bibliophiles, 1884. Print.
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
- "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
- 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)
- Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
- Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 78)
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) WILLIAM HYDE 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849WilliamHyde.htm
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duchess-of-northumberland
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 10) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
- Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html