Explore the Family Name Camara
The meaning of Camara
1. Spanish (Cámara) and Portuguese (Câmara): from Spanish cámara, Portuguese câmara ‘(main) room’ (from Latin camera), hence an occupational name for a courtier or servant who had access to the private living quarters of a king or noble. 2. West African (mainly Guinea, Senegal, Mali, and Ivory Coast): from the name of the Kamara clan of the Mandinka and closely related Soninke peoples; see Kamara 1. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Manuel, Carlos, Jose, Jorge, Ana, Francisco, Luis, Pedro, Juan, Alejandro, Armando, Augusto. Portuguese Joao, Duarte, Joaquim, Afonso, Heitor, Manoel, Marcio, Messias. African/Muslim Mamadou, Boubacar, Mamady, Aboubacar, Amadou, Bakary, Fatou, Ousmane, Babacar, Balla, Brahima, Hamidou.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Camara in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Camara has seen a notable rise in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 5187th in terms of prevalence in the United States, but by 2010, it had climbed to the 4263rd spot, representing a significant change of 17.81 percent. Similarly, there was a 34.52 percent increase in the count of people with this surname, from 6188 in 2000 to 8324 in 2010. When considering the proportion per 100,000 people, this also rose from 2.29 to 2.82, a shift of 23.14 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,187 | #4,263 | 17.81% |
| Count | 6,188 | 8,324 | 34.52% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.29 | 2.82 | 23.14% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Camara
The Decennial U.S. Census data also provides insight into the ethnic identities associated with the surname Camara. Between 2000 and 2010, there was a marked increase in the percentage of individuals identifying as Black, from 21.22 percent to 34.41 percent, an increase of 62.16 percent. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic saw modest increases of 3.13 and 3.96 percent respectively. In contrast, there were decreases in the proportion of those identifying as White, from 55.56 percent to 45.06 percent, and those identifying with two or more races, which decreased dramatically by 56.59 percent from 6.22 percent to 2.7 percent. However, the proportion of American Indian and Alaskan Native increased significantly, albeit from a very small base, from 0.1 percent to 0.29 percent, a change of 190 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 55.56% | 45.06% | -18.9% |
| Black | 21.22% | 34.41% | 62.16% |
| Hispanic | 13.38% | 13.91% | 3.96% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 3.52% | 3.63% | 3.13% |
| Two or More Races | 6.22% | 2.7% | -56.59% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.1% | 0.29% | 190% |
Camara ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Camara is Spanish & Portuguese, which comprises 43.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (20.9%) and French & German (8.6%). Additional ancestries include Senegambian & Guinean, Indigenous American, Italian, Eastern European, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Spanish & Portuguese | 43.7% |
| British & Irish | 20.9% |
| French & German | 8.6% |
| Other | 26.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Camara
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Camara have recent ancestry locations in Portugal and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Madeira, Portugal | 46.60% |
| Azores, Portugal | 46.60% |
| Aveiro District, Portugal | 44.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 44.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 44.60% |
What Camara haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Camara is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include IJ-M429 and R-Z225, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Morais, Menezes, Lebron, Conde, Faria, Matos, Diez, Pereira, Nogueira, Soares.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Camara surname are: H1, H, L2a_d. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Camara have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Camara" Surname 43.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Camara" Surname 30.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Camara" Surname 22.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Camara" Surname 15.6%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Camara?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Camara are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition