NameCensus.

UK surname

Cambridge

A locational surname derived from the city of Cambridge in England.

In the 1881 census there were 916 people recorded with the Cambridge surname, ranking it #4,185 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,598, ranked #3,884, up from #4,185 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Leeds, South Cambridgeshire and Motherwell West.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cambridge is 1,646 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 74.5%.

1881 census count

916

Ranked #4,185

Modern count

1,598

2016, ranked #3,884

Peak year

2014

1,646 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cambridge had 916 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,185 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,598 in 2016, ranked #3,884.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,206 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cambridge surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cambridge surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cambridge 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 590 #4,332
1861 historical 775 #3,559
1881 historical 916 #4,185
1891 historical 1,016 #4,094
1901 historical 1,182 #4,145
1911 historical 1,206 #3,905
1997 modern 1,512 #3,877
1998 modern 1,571 #3,891
1999 modern 1,595 #3,889
2000 modern 1,592 #3,876
2001 modern 1,530 #3,922
2002 modern 1,535 #3,997
2003 modern 1,494 #4,016
2004 modern 1,497 #4,005
2005 modern 1,478 #4,011
2006 modern 1,483 #4,003
2007 modern 1,486 #4,034
2008 modern 1,524 #3,955
2009 modern 1,570 #3,942
2010 modern 1,622 #3,910
2011 modern 1,598 #3,913
2012 modern 1,586 #3,880
2013 modern 1,643 #3,822
2014 modern 1,646 #3,841
2015 modern 1,610 #3,882
2016 modern 1,598 #3,884

Geography

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Where Cambridges are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet,, London parishes and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Leeds, South Cambridgeshire, Motherwell West, Test Valley and Hartlepool. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Churcham, Sandhurst, St Mary-de-Lode, St Catherine Longford, Barnwood, Wootton Ville, North Hamlet, Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Leeds 072 Leeds
2 South Cambridgeshire 014 South Cambridgeshire
3 Motherwell West North Lanarkshire
4 Test Valley 012 Test Valley
5 Hartlepool 002 Hartlepool

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cambridge

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cambridge

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cambridge, 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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Cambridge is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cambridge is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cambridge falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cambridge 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 Cambridge, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cambridge

The surname Cambridge originated in England, deriving its name from the town of Cambridge in the county of Cambridgeshire. The name is thought to have originated in the late 11th or early 12th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

The town of Cambridge was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Grentebrige," meaning "bridge over the River Granta." The name eventually evolved into its current form, Cambridge, by the 13th century. The earliest recorded use of the surname Cambridge dates back to 1185, when a man named Robert de Cambridge was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Cambridge was William de Cambridge, a 13th-century English nobleman who served as Lord of the Manor of Cambridge. In the 14th century, another notable figure named John Cambridge was a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London.

During the 15th century, the Cambridge surname gained prominence with the rise of the House of Tudor. Richard Cambridge, who lived from 1445 to 1487, was a close ally of King Henry VII and served as the High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Cambridge, who fought alongside Henry VIII at the Battle of the Spurs in 1513.

In the 17th century, Thomas Cambridge (1589-1665) was an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Master of Christ's College, Cambridge. He was known for his work in promoting the study of Hebrew and other Semitic languages.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Cambridge was Charles Cambridge (1690-1741), an English actor and playwright who was a prominent figure in the London theater scene during the early 18th century. He is best known for his satirical plays that lampooned the political and social issues of the time.

Throughout its history, the Cambridge surname has been associated with the town and university of the same name, reflecting the deep ties that many families with this surname have had to the region. While the name has spread throughout England and beyond, it remains closely linked to its origins in Cambridgeshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cambridge families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cambridge 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 148 Cambridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.44x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 148 8.44x
Middlesex 128 1.43x
Surrey 122 2.80x
Cambridgeshire 58 10.24x
Durham 49 1.84x
Yorkshire 48 0.54x
Somerset 44 3.06x
Staffordshire 33 1.09x
Kent 27 0.88x
Lanarkshire 24 0.83x
Lancashire 24 0.23x
Cheshire 22 1.11x
Dorset 21 3.58x
Berkshire 16 2.38x
Devon 16 0.86x
Worcestershire 16 1.37x
Ayrshire 12 1.79x
Norfolk 11 0.80x
Essex 10 0.57x
Sussex 10 0.66x
Renfrewshire 9 1.30x
Wiltshire 9 1.14x
Hertfordshire 7 1.14x
Glamorgan 6 0.39x
Monmouthshire 6 0.93x
Northamptonshire 6 0.71x
Hampshire 5 0.27x
Bedfordshire 3 0.65x
Leicestershire 3 0.30x
Midlothian 3 0.25x
Pembrokeshire 3 1.06x
Ross-shire 3 1.22x
Shropshire 3 0.39x
Suffolk 3 0.28x
Buteshire 2 3.69x
Perthshire 2 0.50x
Warwickshire 2 0.09x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.18x
Northumberland 1 0.08x
Oxfordshire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 51 Cambridges recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.54x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 51 6.54x
Hartlepool 38 100.48x
Gloucester St Catherine 26 526.32x
St Andrewthe Less 18 27.81x
Winstone 18 2535.21x
Hauxton 17 2151.90x
Bristol St George 16 19.72x
Bromley London 14 7.11x
Kensington London 14 2.82x
Mangotsfield 14 80.05x
Stapleton 14 42.07x
Bitton Oldland 12 66.93x
Holbeck 12 20.43x
Lyncombe Widcombe 12 31.83x
Ratcliffe London 12 24.29x
Stevenston 12 68.77x
Barony 11 1.50x
Croydon 11 4.55x
Kingston On Thames 11 10.51x
Long Ditton 11 154.49x
Walcot 11 14.34x
Woolwich 11 9.76x
Filey 10 139.66x
Mexborough 10 56.85x
Stranton 10 11.16x
Aldermaston 9 545.45x
Bermondsey 9 3.38x
Bloxworth 9 1125.00x
Camberwell 9 1.58x
Holy Trinity 9 230.18x
Islington London 9 1.04x
Warmwell 9 1636.36x
Bathwick 8 50.22x
Dudley 8 5.63x
Gloucester Kingsholm St 8 122.32x
St Pancras London 8 1.11x
Stratton St Margaret 8 65.95x
Werneth 8 129.24x
Wolverhampton 8 3.45x
Bedminster 7 5.17x
Fulham London 7 5.40x
Upton St Leonards 7 156.95x
West Greenock 7 5.63x
Brighton 6 1.97x
Bristol St Paul In 6 12.84x
Edgware 6 240.00x
Eltham 6 33.54x
Fulbourn 6 110.70x
Glasgow 6 1.17x
Hackney London 6 1.20x
Handsworth 6 8.06x
Liverpool 6 0.93x
Reading St Mary 6 11.16x
South Runcton 6 1276.60x
St George Hanover Square 6 3.81x
Stoke Upon Trent 6 1.87x
Wednesfield 6 13.50x
Whitechapel London 6 6.81x
Barton Bendish 5 373.13x
Battersea 5 1.52x
Dukinfield 5 5.48x
Gloucester St Mary Lode 5 121.65x
Huddersfield 5 3.87x
Limehouse London 5 5.09x
Southampton St Mary 5 4.34x
Tranmere 5 6.89x
Trumpington 5 173.61x
Wandsworth 5 5.81x
Wellingborough 5 11.82x
Barrington 4 209.42x
Bristol St James St Paul 4 6.84x
Dymchurch 4 236.69x
Mayland 4 526.32x
Paddington London 4 1.22x
Rotherhithe 4 3.62x
Rutherglen 4 9.43x
Saffron Walden 4 21.44x
Shoreditch London 4 1.03x
St Clement Danes London 4 21.61x
Warrington 4 3.18x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 59
Elizabeth 35
Sarah 27
Alice 20
Ann 16
Eliza 16
Annie 14
Jane 14
Emma 13
Ellen 10
Hannah 9
Catherine 8
Harriet 8
Maria 8
Charlotte 7
Emily 7
Fanny 6
Susan 6
Agnes 5
Caroline 5
Florence 5
Harriett 5
Selina 5
Edith 4
Lily 4
Amelia 3
Anne 3
Jemima 3
Kate 3
Louisa 3
Margaret 3
Minnie 3
Sophia 3
Ada 2
Helen 2
Isabell 2
Isabella 2
Julia 2
Lucy 2
Margt. 2
Phoebe 2
Rose 2
Ruth 2
Bertha 1
Bessy 1
Birtha 1
Dupherena 1
E. 1
E.M. 1
William 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 52
John 48
George 41
Charles 27
Thomas 23
James 21
Robert 20
Arthur 17
Henry 17
Joseph 14
Frederick 10
Alfred 8
Benjamin 8
Samuel 8
Edward 7
Ernest 7
Harry 7
Owen 7
Walter 5
Richard 4
Albert 3
David 3
Edwin 3
Francis 3
Herbert 3
Jesse 3
Robt. 3
Ben 2
Daniel 2
Gilbert 2
Hamilton 2
Hunter 2
Jas. 2
Jonathan 2
Obadiah 2
Oliver 2
Philip 2
Sidney 2
Willm. 2
Zechariah 2
Flaton 1
Geo. 1
Giles 1
Gregory 1
Henery 1
Mark 1
Martha 1
Mary 1
Nathaniel 1
O. 1

FAQ

Cambridge surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cambridge surname in 1881?

In 1881, 916 people were recorded with the Cambridge surname. That placed it at #4,185 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cambridge surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,598 in 2016. That gives Cambridge a modern rank of #3,884.

What does the Cambridge surname mean?

A locational surname derived from the city of Cambridge in England.

What does the Cambridge map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cambridge 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.