Show ContentsHamer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Hamer Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Hamer

What does the name Hamer mean?

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 2" 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

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 literature and linguistic scholarship. He collected 150,000 volumes in the...
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

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

Hamer migration to Australia +

Hamer Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • 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) 4
  • 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. 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 6
  • 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 7

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, posthumous recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024
  • David Hamer (1923-2002), Australian politician
  • Sir Rupert "Dick" James Hamer AC, KCMG, ED (1916-2004), Australian Liberal Party politician, the 39th Premier of Victoria from 1972 to 1981
  • David Hamer, Captain Australian Navy
  • Ryke Geerd Hamer (1935-2017), German physician, developer of Germanic New Medicine, a system of pseudo-medicine that purports to be able to cure cancer
  • Ryke Geerd Hamer (b. 1935), German physician, originator of Germanic New Medicine
  • 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); he died tragically by suicide at the age of 42
  • Russell Hamer (1947-2024), Sri Lankan cricketer who played first-class for the Sri Lanka national team from 1968 to 1977
  • ... (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.
  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia. Retrieved 25th March 2022 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emerald-isle
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st May 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cressy
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-malcolm
  7. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html

Houseofnames.com on Facebook