NameCensus.

UK surname

Camden

From an English place name meaning "enclosed valley" or "winding valley," derived from the Old English elements "cumb" and "denu."

In the 1881 census there were 190 people recorded with the Camden surname, ranking it #13,270 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 265, ranked #16,130, down from #13,270 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick, London parishes and Wantage. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wychavon, Herefordshire and Milton Keynes.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Camden is 282 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 39.5%.

1881 census count

190

Ranked #13,270

Modern count

265

2016, ranked #16,130

Peak year

1911

282 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Camden had 190 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,270 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 265 in 2016, ranked #16,130.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 282 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Multicultural Inner Suburbs.

Camden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Camden surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Camden 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 130 #14,314
1861 historical 180 #13,057
1881 historical 190 #13,270
1891 historical 229 #13,539
1901 historical 258 #12,875
1911 historical 282 #11,915
1997 modern 230 #16,109
1998 modern 242 #16,037
1999 modern 244 #16,052
2000 modern 250 #15,741
2001 modern 243 #15,791
2002 modern 246 #15,988
2003 modern 248 #15,695
2004 modern 237 #16,283
2005 modern 226 #16,782
2006 modern 230 #16,690
2007 modern 234 #16,706
2008 modern 230 #17,033
2009 modern 234 #17,194
2010 modern 248 #16,886
2011 modern 263 #16,058
2012 modern 245 #16,745
2013 modern 266 #16,098
2014 modern 269 #16,059
2015 modern 263 #16,224
2016 modern 265 #16,130

Geography

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Where Camdens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick, London parishes, Wantage, Cheltenham and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wychavon, Herefordshire and Milton Keynes. 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 Worcester St John Bedwardine, Kenswick Worcestershire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Wantage Berkshire
4 Cheltenham Gloucestershire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wychavon 012 Wychavon
2 Herefordshire 010 Herefordshire, County of
3 Herefordshire 011 Herefordshire, County of
4 Milton Keynes 004 Milton Keynes
5 Herefordshire 015 Herefordshire, County of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Camden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Camden

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

Baseline UK

Group

Multicultural Inner Suburbs

Nationally, the Camden surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Multicultural Inner Suburbs, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Camden household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house many younger and middle-aged adults with children. All ethnic minorities, apart from those identifying as Pakistani or Bangladeshi, appear to be present in above average proportions. Affiliation to Christian religions is uncommon. Long-term disability rates are low, mirrored in limited provision of unpaid care. Privately rented terrace houses and flats are the norm. Managerial, professional and technical occupations are prevalent, and work is rarely part time. Many individuals have degree level qualifications. These areas form the inner suburbs of many of the UK’s towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Camden is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Camden is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Camden falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Camden

The surname Camden is of English origin, deriving from the place name Camden Town, a district in northwest London. The name Camden itself is believed to have originated from the Old English words "camb" meaning crooked and "dun" meaning hill, referring to the area's geographical features.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Camden can be traced back to the 16th century, when it was commonly spelled as "Cambden" or "Camdene". One of the most notable figures associated with this name is William Camden (1551-1623), an English antiquarian, historian, and topographer who is best known for his work "Britannia", a comprehensive survey of the British Isles.

Another historical figure bearing the surname Camden was John Camden Neild (1780-1852), an English banker and philanthropist who played a significant role in the establishment of Queen's College, Cambridge.

In the 18th century, the name Camden gained prominence with Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden (1714-1794), a British lawyer and politician who served as Lord Chancellor of Great Britain from 1766 to 1770. His grandson, George Charles Camden, 3rd Earl Camden (1805-1866), was a British peer and politician.

Across the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Camden in America was Samuel Camden (1628-1699), an English Quaker who immigrated to colonial Pennsylvania and became a prominent landowner and public servant.

Other notable individuals with the surname Camden include James Camden Nield (1776-1857), an English civil engineer and inventor, and Caleb Camden (1779-1858), an American military officer who served in the War of 1812.

While the surname Camden has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with descendants bearing this name found in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Camden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Camden 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. Worcestershire leads with 33 Camdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.56x.

County Total Index
Worcestershire 33 13.56x
Berkshire 30 21.45x
Surrey 24 2.64x
Gloucestershire 20 5.47x
Warwickshire 16 3.41x
Buckinghamshire 13 11.54x
Oxfordshire 8 6.95x
Denbighshire 7 9.95x
Lancashire 7 0.32x
Lincolnshire 6 2.01x
Middlesex 6 0.32x
Yorkshire 6 0.33x
Cheshire 5 1.22x
Devon 4 1.03x
Flintshire 2 3.99x
Glamorgan 1 0.31x
Kent 1 0.16x
Royal Navy 1 4.50x
Sussex 1 0.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wantage in Berkshire leads with 13 Camdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 582.96x.

Place Total Index
Wantage 13 582.96x
Cheltenham 9 31.93x
Fladbury 9 3103.45x
Lambeth 9 5.54x
Sutton Coldfield 8 161.94x
Wooburn 8 516.13x
Bersham 7 233.33x
Grove 7 1944.44x
Prestbury 7 777.78x
Edgbaston 6 41.18x
Handsworth 6 122.95x
Upton Snodsbury 6 2608.70x
Churchill 5 1562.50x
Eton 5 196.08x
Hale 5 352.11x
Litherland 5 108.23x
Marcham 5 1000.00x
Worcester St Alban 5 3125.00x
Blockley 4 289.86x
Exeter St Mary Major 4 170.94x
Nettleham 4 655.74x
Bermondsey 3 5.41x
Camberwell 3 2.52x
Charlton Abbotts 3 4285.71x
Mortlake 3 74.07x
Aston 2 1.55x
Brimpton 2 740.74x
Chipping Norton 2 75.19x
Mile End Old Town London 2 5.04x
Newington 2 2.91x
North Piddle 2 2000.00x
Norton 2 769.23x
Reading St Giles 2 14.58x
Rhuddlan 2 45.35x
Stoke 2 46.73x
Bray 1 24.33x
Brighton 1 1.58x
Charlton Kings 1 39.53x
Elmley Castle 1 416.67x
Finchley 1 14.01x
Godalming 1 17.51x
Grafton Flyford 1 666.67x
Great Crosby 1 16.58x
Great Grimsby 1 5.29x
Islington London 1 0.55x
Kingham 1 256.41x
Manchester 1 1.01x
Paddington London 1 1.46x
Pershore Holy Cross 1 64.10x
Pirton 1 833.33x
Roath 1 6.79x
St Marylebone London 1 1.01x
St Peterat Arches 1 294.12x
Streatham 1 7.24x
Woolwich 1 4.26x
Worcester St Nicholas 1 86.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Elizabeth 10
Emma 7
Alice 5
Ellen 5
Jane 5
Sarah 5
Hannah 4
Susan 4
Ann 3
Annie 3
Caroline 2
Eliza 2
Julia 2
Louisa 2
Martha 2
Ada 1
Angelena 1
Beatrice 1
Bella 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Emily 1
Florance 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Hilder 1
Isabella 1
Kate 1
Letitia 1
Lilia 1
Lizes 1
Lucy 1
Margaretta 1
Margt.Anne 1
Maria 1
Maud 1
Miriam 1
Phobe 1
Tryphana 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Camden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Camden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 190 people were recorded with the Camden surname. That placed it at #13,270 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Camden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 265 in 2016. That gives Camden a modern rank of #16,130.

What does the Camden surname mean?

From an English place name meaning "enclosed valley" or "winding valley," derived from the Old English elements "cumb" and "denu."

What does the Camden map show?

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