Thank you for your question, "how did the hamburger get its name when it is really beef".

Although the exact origins of the hamburger are unknown, it is thought that hamburger patty and sandwich were brought to America by 19th century German immigrants.

The term derives from the German words "Hamburg" - a city in Germany where many immigrated to America from, "Burger" - which describes someone coming from a castle or town (a "Burg"). So the term Hamburger becomes a descriptive noun, referring to something from Hamburg. The likeness to the English word "ham" is by pure coincidence, as hamburgers are not made of ham.

If you would like more information about the hamburger try looking at these sites:

"Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopaedia"; hamburger. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger

This site has a very thorough history of the hamburger, as well as legends of it. "What's Cooking America"; Linda Stradley. http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/HamburgerHistory.htm

This is a short description of the origins of the hamburger. "FoodVenue.com"; Chris. http://www.foodvenue.com/content/features/f020006_hamburger.asp

If you would like to find more information, try typing in the search terms "origin of hamburger" or "hamburger history" into your search engine.

I hope this is the kind of information you were looking for. Thank you for using AAQ.