NameCensus.

UK surname

Cambray

A topographic surname for someone residing in or near the town of Cambrai in northern France.

In the 1881 census there were 143 people recorded with the Cambray surname, ranking it #15,955 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 186, ranked #20,575, down from #15,955 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rissington, Great, London parishes and Farmington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lancaster, Cotswold and South Northamptonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cambray is 231 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.1%.

1881 census count

143

Ranked #15,955

Modern count

186

2016, ranked #20,575

Peak year

1911

231 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cambray had 143 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,955 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 186 in 2016, ranked #20,575.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 231 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Cambray surname distribution map

The map shows where the Cambray surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Cambray surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cambray over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 79 #19,712
1861 historical 105 #20,298
1881 historical 143 #15,955
1891 historical 183 #15,918
1901 historical 228 #13,929
1911 historical 231 #13,636
1997 modern 171 #19,438
1998 modern 180 #19,298
1999 modern 194 #18,579
2000 modern 203 #18,043
2001 modern 198 #18,047
2002 modern 191 #18,817
2003 modern 193 #18,501
2004 modern 189 #18,855
2005 modern 191 #18,707
2006 modern 189 #18,961
2007 modern 182 #19,618
2008 modern 184 #19,666
2009 modern 188 #19,797
2010 modern 179 #20,886
2011 modern 181 #20,579
2012 modern 174 #21,065
2013 modern 185 #20,575
2014 modern 180 #21,115
2015 modern 181 #20,934
2016 modern 186 #20,575

Geography

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Where Cambrays are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rissington, Great, London parishes, Farmington and Missenden, Great. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lancaster, Cotswold, South Northamptonshire and Swindon. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Rissington, Great Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Farmington Gloucestershire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Missenden, Great Buckinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lancaster 001 Lancaster
2 Cotswold 005 Cotswold
3 South Northamptonshire 004 South Northamptonshire
4 Swindon 013 Swindon
5 Cotswold 003 Cotswold

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cambray

These lists show first names that appear often with the Cambray surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cambray

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cambray, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Cambray surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cambray household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Cambray is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cambray is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cambray falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cambray is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Cambray, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cambray

The surname Cambray originated in the Picardy region of northern France, deriving from the town of Cambrai. The name is believed to have emerged in the Middle Ages, likely during the 11th or 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Gallo-Roman word "Cameracum," which referred to a vaulted or arched building, potentially describing a feature of the town's architecture.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cambrai." This entry suggests that individuals bearing this surname may have been among the Norman settlers who accompanied William the Conqueror to England during the Norman Conquest in 1066.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Robert de Cambray served as the Archbishop of Glasgow from 1292 to 1295. Additionally, a record from 1379 mentions a John Cambray who was a merchant and alderman in the city of London.

During the 15th century, the Cambray family held significance in Norfolk, England, with William Cambray (born around 1420) serving as the High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1477. His son, also named William Cambray (born circa 1450), followed in his footsteps and held the same position in 1502.

In the 16th century, a notable individual named Jacques de Cambray (1510-1560) gained recognition as a French Renaissance poet and translator. He is best known for his translations of ancient Greek and Latin works into French.

The name Cambray has also been associated with various place names throughout history. For instance, the town of Cambrai in northern France, from which the surname is derived, was known by various spellings such as Cameracum, Camaracum, and Cambray in different historical periods.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cambray families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cambray surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Gloucestershire leads with 54 Cambrays recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.74x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 54 19.74x
Oxfordshire 22 25.54x
Surrey 18 2.65x
Warwickshire 9 2.56x
Middlesex 8 0.57x
Monmouthshire 8 7.93x
Lancashire 7 0.42x
Carmarthenshire 5 8.51x
Herefordshire 5 8.74x
Buckinghamshire 2 2.37x
Yorkshire 2 0.14x
Brecknockshire 1 3.59x
Hampshire 1 0.35x
Worcestershire 1 0.55x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Farmington in Gloucestershire leads with 16 Cambrays recorded in 1881 and an index of 12307.69x.

Place Total Index
Farmington 16 12307.69x
Great Rissington 14 7000.00x
Newington 14 27.17x
St Woollos 8 71.11x
Oxford St Thomas 7 174.13x
Asterleigh 6 30000.00x
Aston 6 6.20x
Billington 6 882.35x
Chedworth 5 1282.05x
Llanelly 5 37.76x
Ross 5 220.26x
Stow On The Wold 4 655.74x
Curbridge 3 1034.48x
Longborough 3 1000.00x
Preston 3 2307.69x
St Pancras London 3 2.67x
Upper Slaughter 3 2500.00x
Camberwell 2 2.24x
Chipping Norton 2 100.50x
Fulbrook 2 1176.47x
Great Missenden 2 192.31x
Hammersmith London 2 5.82x
Sherborne 2 740.74x
Ardwick 1 6.70x
Bampton 1 149.25x
Binsted 1 91.74x
Bradford 1 2.99x
Brecknock St David 1 133.33x
Coventry St Michael 1 8.85x
Headley 1 625.00x
Islington London 1 0.74x
Leathley 1 1428.57x
Lower Slaughter 1 1000.00x
Moreton In Marsh 1 144.93x
North Cerney 1 333.33x
Pitchcombe 1 1428.57x
St Clement Danes London 1 34.60x
Stoke Newington London 1 9.21x
Stratford On Avon 1 51.28x
Sutton 1 20.33x
Warmington 1 526.32x
Wootton 1 192.31x
Yardley 1 21.46x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Cambray surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Cambray surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
George 9
William 9
John 6
James 5
Thomas 5
Albert 3
Edwin 3
Henry 3
Charles 2
Frank 2
Harry 2
Philip 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Birty 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredk.Wm. 1
Herbert 1
Joseph 1
Percy 1
Phillip 1
Septimus 1
Timothy 1
Walter 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Cambray surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cambray surname in 1881?

In 1881, 143 people were recorded with the Cambray surname. That placed it at #15,955 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cambray surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 186 in 2016. That gives Cambray a modern rank of #20,575.

What does the Cambray surname mean?

A topographic surname for someone residing in or near the town of Cambrai in northern France.

What does the Cambray map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cambray bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.