Explore the Family Name Cambridge
The meaning of Cambridge
1. Irish (Antrim and Cork): shortened Anglicized form of Mac Ambróis, see McCambridge. 2. English: habitational name from Cambridge, the university city and county town of Cambridgeshire in East Anglia. Until the late 14th century this place was known as Grantabrycge or Cantebrigge ‘bridge on the (river) Granta’, from a Celtic river name meaning ‘marshy river’. Under Norman influence Granta- became Cam-. 3. English: habitational name from the village of Cambridge near Slimbridge in Gloucestershire. This place is early-recorded as Cambrigga, and named for the Cam, a Celtic river name meaning ‘crooked, winding’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cambridge in the United States?
The popularity of the surname Cambridge saw a slight increase from 2000 to 2010, according to the data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, the surname was ranked 17,596th in terms of popularity with a count of 1,472 people carrying the name. By 2010, the rank had risen slightly to 17,559 with an increase of 0.21% and there were 1602 people with the name representing an 8.83% rise in the number of people carrying the Cambridge surname. However, as a proportion per 100,000 people, the prevalence of the surname dropped by 1.82%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17,596 | #17,559 | 0.21% |
| Count | 1,472 | 1,602 | 8.83% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.55 | 0.54 | -1.82% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cambridge
Looking at the ethnic identity of those bearing the Cambridge surname, again based on the Decennial U.S. Census, we see some shifts over the decade. While in 2000 no Asian/Pacific Islanders or Hispanics were recorded with this surname, by 2010 they made up 0.44% and 2.75% of the Cambridge population respectively. Those identifying as two or more races saw a rise from 2.58% to 2.87%, an increase of 11.24%. The percentage of White individuals with this surname declined from 39.74% to 34.83% between 2000 and 2010. The Black population increased from 47.83% to 50.75%, while American Indian and Alaskan Natives saw a rise from 7.54% to 8.36%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 47.83% | 50.75% | 6.1% |
| White | 39.74% | 34.83% | -12.36% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 7.54% | 8.36% | 10.88% |
| Two or More Races | 2.58% | 2.87% | 11.24% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 2.75% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.44% | 0% |