Explore the Family Name Cam
The meaning of Cam
1. Vietnamese: from the Chinese surname 甘, see Gan 1. 2. Vietnamese (Cầm): from the Chinese surname 琴, see Qin 2. 3. English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Caen in Calvados, France, early recorded as Cadum and Cadomum (see Cain). 4. English: habitational name from one of two places called Cam in Gloucestershire and Yorkshire. 5. English: nickname from an unrecorded Middle English cam (perhaps from Welsh cam) ‘crooked, bent’, also ‘perverse’. Compare Middle English cammed ‘pug-nosed, curved’, probably a derivative of cam. 6. Scottish: nickname from Gaelic cam ‘crooked; one-eyed, cross-eyed’. 7. Breton (mainly Finistère; also Le Cam): nickname for a lame man, from cam, kamm ‘lame’. Some characteristic forenames: Vietnamese Ba, Chau, Coung, Cun, Cuong, Duc, Giao, Hai, Hieu, Hoa, Hoanh, Hung, Kinh Van. Chinese Kang, Wing, Ying, Young.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cam in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Cam has increased in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 24,061st most common surname and by 2010, it had risen to the 20,434th spot, marking a 15.07 percent increase. The count of individuals with the surname also rose during this time period, with just 978 people bearing the name in 2000 and 1,300 in 2010, showing a substantial increase of 32.92 percent. The proportion of individuals with the surname per 100,000 people also saw an upward trend, climbing from 0.36 to 0.44.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #24,061 | #20,434 | 15.07% |
| Count | 978 | 1,300 | 32.92% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.36 | 0.44 | 22.22% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cam
When examining the ethnic identity associated with the surname Cam, Decennial U.S. Census data reveals a few shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of individuals identified as Asian/Pacific Islander remained relatively stable, increasing slightly from 56.34 percent to 56.54 percent. Conversely, those identifying with two or more races decreased significantly from 9.10 percent to 3.00 percent. Individuals identified as White saw a modest increase from 22.60 percent to 25.00 percent, while those identified as Hispanic experienced a larger rise from 8.90 percent to 11.15 percent. Interestingly, the Black population with the Cam surname appeared in the 2010 Census data, accounting for 3.92 percent. However, there were no notable increases or decreases within the American Indian and Alaskan Native category.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 56.34% | 56.54% | 0.35% |
| White | 22.6% | 25% | 10.62% |
| Hispanic | 8.9% | 11.15% | 25.28% |
| Black | 0% | 3.92% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 9.1% | 3% | -67.03% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.38% | 0% |