Boy · #3,959 in 2026

Ham

Ham, according to the Table of Nations in the Book of Genesis, was either the second or the youngest son of Noah, and the father of Cush, Mizraim, Phut and Canaan.

Current Rank
#3,959
Peak Rank
#3,368 (1918)
Total Babies
29
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1886
First Year
1929
Last Year
1918
Peak Year
#3368
Peak Rank
29
Total Count
5
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Ham

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Ham, according to the Table of Nations in the Book of Genesis, was either the second or the youngest son of Noah, and the father of Cush, Mizraim, Phut and Canaan.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
Shem, Ham, and Japheth , painting by James Tissot (between 1896 and 1902). Jewish Museum ( Manhattan , New York ). Ham is in the centre with stereotypically African features: dark skin and hair, and a broad nose. Since the 17th century, a number of suggestions have been made that relate the name Ham to a Hebrew word for "burnt", "black" or "hot", to the Egyptian word ḥm for "servant" or the word ḥm for "majesty" or the Egyptian word kmt for "Egypt". A 2004 review of David Goldenberg's The Curse of Ham: Race and Slavery in Early Judaism, Christianity and Islam (2003) states that Goldenberg "arg

The Story of Ham

Ham first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1886, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 7 Hams were born — ranking #3,368 that year. As of 2026, Ham ranks #3,959 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 29 Hams have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
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Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Ham

Phonetically similar names — useful when Ham is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Hamm
  • Hamme
  • Hamb
  • Hahm
  • Home
  • Him
  • Hang
  • Hem
  • Han
  • Hom
  • Hime
  • Hm

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ham

What does the name Ham mean?
Ham, according to the Table of Nations in the Book of Genesis, was either the second or the youngest son of Noah, and the father of Cush, Mizraim, Phut and Canaan.
How popular is Ham in 2026?
In 2026, Ham ranks #3,959 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Ham most popular?
Ham reached its peak popularity in 1918, ranking #3,368 that year with 7 babies given the name.
Is Ham a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Ham is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Ham?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Ham include Opha, Slim, Mann. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👦
Opha
Peak #3368
👦
Slim
Peak #3368
👦
Mann
Peak #3368
👦
Yaro
Peak #3368
👦
Lunsford
Peak #3368
👦
Viron
Peak #3368
👦
Cromwell
Peak #3368
👦
Hurston
Peak #3368

About the name Ham

Ham is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1886 and has accumulated 29 births in the dataset. Ham's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #3,368. Use the chart and map above to compare Ham's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.