The ancestral home of the Hammar family is in
Austria, where the surname first emerged almost a millennium ago. The name Hammar 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.
Early Origins of the Hammar family
The surname Hammar 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
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York, Harper & Row, 1956. Print" 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 Hammar family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hammar research.
Another 334 words (24 lines of text) covering the years 1791, 1820, and 1836 are included under the topic Early Hammar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Hammar Spelling Variations
In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era.
Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The
spelling variations of the name Hammar 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 Hammar family (pre 1700)
During this period prominent bearers of the name Hammar 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 Hammar Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Hammar family to the New World and Oceana
Austria was made a republic after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up by the Treaty of Versailles and many of its people found themselves in the new nation of Czechoslovakia. Many other Austrians and expatriate Austrians made their way to North America in the 20th century. Most landed in Philadelphia, later continuing on to the states of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Some
Austrian settlers also went to western Canada and Ontario. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Hammar or a variant listed above:
Hammar Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- John Hammar, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1803 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - B H Hammar, aged 20, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1835 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Hammar Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Leo Hammar, who arrived in Arkansas in 1906 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
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) - Johan Gustav Hammar, who arrived in Alabama in 1925 [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Contemporary Notables of the name Hammar (post 1700)
- Karl Hammar, American Republican politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Delta County, 1940 [3]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - Harry E. Hammar, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 1916 [3]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - Conrad Hammar, American Democrat politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 1964 [3]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - Gustaf Wilhelm Hammar (1893-1954), Swedish-born American experimental physicist, known for the Hammar experiment
- Ziri Hammar (b. 1992), Algerian footballer
- Johan Hammar (b. 1994), Swedish professional footballer
The Hammar 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.