1610s, Hamburger "native of Hamburg ." Also used of ships from Hamburg. From 1838 as a type of excellent black grape indigenous to Tyrolia; 1857 as a variety of hen.

The meat product was so called by 1880 (as hamburg steak ); if it was named for the German city no certain connection has ever been put forth, and there may not be one unless it be that Hamburg was a major port of departure for German immigrants to United States. Hamburg(h) beef, by 1767, was a kind of smoked spiced beef hash, and by 1774 was also documented as Hamburgh sausage , a sausage to be made in "the largest gut you can find" (Hannah Glasse, "The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy.")

The meaning "a sandwich consisting of a bun and a patty of grilled hamburger meat" is attested by 1909, short for hamburger sandwich (1902).

The shortened form burger is attested from 1939; beefburger was attempted 1940, to make the main ingredient more explicit after the -burger had taken on a life of its own as a food suffix (compare cheeseburger , attested by 1938).