Hamilton
The name Hamilton probably originated in the village of Hamilton, Leicestershire, England, but bearers of that name became established in the 13th century in Lanarkshire, Scotland. The town of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire was named after the family some time before 1445. Contemporary Hamiltons are either descended from the original noble family, or descended from people named after the town.
Meaning & Origin of Hamilton
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The name Hamilton probably originated in the village of Hamilton, Leicestershire, England, but bearers of that name became established in the 13th century in Lanarkshire, Scotland. The town of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire was named after the family some time before 1445. Contemporary Hamiltons are either descended from the original noble family, or descended from people named after the town.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Hamilton
Hamilton first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 17 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2016, when 98 Hamiltons were born — ranking #1,628 that year. As of 2026, Hamilton ranks #2,702 for baby boys with 48 births, falling sharply (-29%). In total, more than 7K Hamiltons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Hamilton
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe (1913–1980), Sri Lankan Sinhala diplomat
- Hamilton Basso (1904–1964), American writer
- Hamilton Bohannon (1942–2020), American percussionist, band leader, songwriter, and record producer
- Hamilton S. Burnett (1895–1973), justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court
- Hamilton Camp (1934–2005), British actor
- Hamilton Coolidge (1895-1918), American World War I flying ace
- Hamilton Evangelista dos Santos (1931–2011), Brazilian footballer
- Hamílton Hênio Ferreira Calheiros (born 1980), Brazilian-Togolese footballer, known as Hamílton
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Hamilton
Phonetically similar names — useful when Hamilton is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hamilton
What does the name Hamilton mean?
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About the name Hamilton
Hamilton is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 7K births in the dataset. Hamilton's peak popularity came in 2016 when it ranked #346. Use the chart and map above to compare Hamilton's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2016 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.