NameCensus.

UK surname

Cameron

A Scottish surname referring to someone with a crooked nose or a crooked river.

In the 1881 census there were 23,281 people recorded with the Cameron surname, ranking it #145 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 27,703, ranked #204, down from #145 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kilmallie and Ardgour, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Lochaber West, Fort William South and Fort William North.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cameron is 27,703 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.0%.

1881 census count

23,281

Ranked #145

Modern count

27,703

2016, ranked #204

Peak year

2016

27,703 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cameron had 23,281 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #145 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 27,703 in 2016, ranked #204.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 26,303 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Cameron surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cameron surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cameron 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 19,344 #109
1861 historical 18,991 #113
1881 historical 23,281 #145
1891 historical 24,613 #141
1901 historical 26,303 #167
1911 historical 5,466 #954
1997 modern 24,651 #221
1998 modern 25,597 #222
1999 modern 25,779 #221
2000 modern 25,855 #221
2001 modern 25,101 #221
2002 modern 25,809 #220
2003 modern 25,328 #217
2004 modern 25,490 #217
2005 modern 25,598 #212
2006 modern 25,789 #210
2007 modern 26,065 #209
2008 modern 26,242 #209
2009 modern 26,863 #208
2010 modern 27,281 #210
2011 modern 26,808 #210
2012 modern 26,556 #207
2013 modern 27,121 #207
2014 modern 27,574 #206
2015 modern 27,540 #206
2016 modern 27,703 #204

Geography

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Where Camerons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kilmallie and Ardgour, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Ardnamurchan and Greenock. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Lochaber West, Fort William South, Fort William North, Lochaber East and North and Inverness West Rural. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Kilmallie and Ardgour Inverness
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Ardnamurchan Argyll
5 Greenock Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Lochaber West Highland
2 Fort William South Highland
3 Fort William North Highland
4 Lochaber East and North Highland
5 Inverness West Rural Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cameron

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cameron

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Cameron surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Cameron household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Cameron is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Cameron 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

Cameron falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cameron

The surname Cameron is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "cam-shron" which means "crooked nose" or "hook-nosed". It is believed to have originated in the Highlands region of Scotland, particularly in the areas around Lochaber and Argyll.

The name is thought to have first appeared in written records during the 12th century, with the earliest known reference being found in the Chartulary of Moray, a collection of charters and other documents relating to the Diocese of Moray in northern Scotland. This early reference dates back to around 1190 and mentions a person named "Gillecam Camrone".

In the 13th century, the Cameron clan began to establish itself as a prominent family in the Scottish Highlands. One of the earliest recorded members of the clan was Sir John Cameron, who lived during the reign of King Alexander III (1241-1286). Sir John is believed to have been the first to adopt the surname Cameron as a hereditary family name.

Throughout the centuries, the Cameron clan played a significant role in Scottish history, particularly in their support for the Jacobite cause during the 17th and 18th centuries. Notable figures from the clan include Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel (1629-1719), who fought for the Jacobites during the Glorious Revolution and the Jacobite Rising of 1689.

Another prominent Cameron was Donald Cameron of Lochiel (1700-1748), who led the clan during the Jacobite Rising of 1745. He fought alongside Prince Charles Edward Stuart, also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, and was later forced into exile after the defeat of the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

In more recent times, the surname Cameron has been carried by several notable individuals, including David Cameron (born 1966), who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016, and James Cameron (born 1954), the acclaimed Canadian filmmaker known for directing blockbuster movies such as "Titanic" and "Avatar".

Other notable individuals with the surname Cameron include Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879), a pioneering British photographer, and Samantha Cameron (born 1971), the wife of former Prime Minister David Cameron and a successful businesswoman in her own right.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cameron families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cameron 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. Lanarkshire leads with 4,284 Camerons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.83x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 4,284 5.83x
Argyllshire 2,918 46.16x
Inverness-shire 2,058 30.35x
Perthshire 1,755 17.22x
Midlothian 1,242 4.08x
Renfrewshire 1,214 6.90x
Ross-shire 1,176 18.86x
Aberdeenshire 756 3.60x
Angus 695 3.30x
Dunbartonshire 643 10.54x
Middlesex 612 0.27x
Lancashire 611 0.23x
Morayshire 566 16.04x
Ayrshire 503 2.96x
Durham 361 0.53x
Stirlingshire 349 4.17x
Banffshire 314 6.67x
Fife 287 2.14x
Yorkshire 233 0.10x
Northumberland 221 0.65x
Surrey 202 0.18x
Cumberland 194 0.99x
Kent 132 0.17x
Nairnshire 125 18.04x
Caithness 122 3.92x
Cheshire 112 0.22x
Buteshire 94 6.83x
Hampshire 93 0.20x
Kincardineshire 90 3.25x
West Lothian 86 2.52x
Sutherland 80 4.58x
Clackmannanshire 70 3.73x
Dumfriesshire 69 1.38x
Devon 68 0.14x
Essex 67 0.15x
Gloucestershire 60 0.13x
East Lothian 56 1.86x
Kirkcudbrightshire 55 1.67x
Sussex 54 0.14x
Staffordshire 49 0.06x
Glamorgan 45 0.11x
Berwickshire 36 1.31x
Warwickshire 36 0.06x
Roxburghshire 35 0.85x
Isle of Man 27 0.64x
Lincolnshire 26 0.07x
Monmouthshire 26 0.16x
Kinross-shire 24 4.18x
Derbyshire 23 0.06x
Leicestershire 23 0.09x
Channel Islands 22 0.33x
Selkirkshire 22 1.07x
Wigtownshire 21 0.70x
Hertfordshire 20 0.13x
Cornwall 18 0.07x
Norfolk 14 0.04x
Herefordshire 13 0.14x
Royal Navy 13 0.48x
Nottinghamshire 12 0.04x
Bedfordshire 11 0.09x
Berkshire 11 0.06x
Orkney 11 0.44x
Buckinghamshire 10 0.07x
Dorset 10 0.07x
Somerset 10 0.03x
Shropshire 9 0.05x
Suffolk 9 0.03x
Westmorland 9 0.18x
Denbighshire 8 0.09x
Caernarfonshire 7 0.08x
Worcestershire 6 0.02x
Peeblesshire 5 0.47x
Flintshire 4 0.07x
Merionethshire 4 0.10x
Huntingdonshire 3 0.07x
Oxfordshire 3 0.02x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.04x
Wiltshire 3 0.01x
Anglesey 1 0.02x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.01x
Northamptonshire 1 0.00x
Rutland 1 0.06x
Shetland 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 1,456 Camerons recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.83x.

Place Total Index
Barony 1,456 7.83x
Govan 1,246 6.86x
Kilmallie 871 267.89x
Glasgow 802 6.15x
Ardnamurchan 732 228.31x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 591 4.83x
Inverness 511 29.96x
West Greenock 263 8.33x
Dundee 259 3.30x
Kilmonivaig 228 151.44x
Lismore Appin 209 99.37x
Abbey 202 7.52x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 183 4.65x
Aberdeen Old Machar 172 3.92x
South Leith 165 4.82x
Dull 153 74.90x
East Greenock 151 9.09x
Fortingall 151 116.06x
Bonhill 149 15.21x
Dumbarton 140 16.48x
Fodderty 140 88.77x
Kilmore Kilbride 123 30.66x
Kilmorack 119 57.89x
Morven 119 181.62x
Eastwood 118 10.89x
Knockbain 112 76.77x
Elgin 107 15.59x
Abernethy Kincardine 106 88.61x
Duthil 104 80.36x
Liff Benvie 103 3.23x
Old Monkland 101 3.47x
Cromdale 86 30.30x
Lochbroom 85 26.11x
Islington London 84 0.38x
Row 84 10.64x
Logierait 82 45.71x
Contin 81 71.52x
Kiltarlity 81 48.70x
Dunblane 80 32.80x
Perth East Church 79 8.22x
Killin 77 77.39x
Bracadale 76 103.25x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 76 2.60x
Crieff 75 19.79x
Dunoon Kilmun 74 15.01x
Nairn 74 17.60x
St Pancras London 74 0.40x
Kilmarnock 73 3.61x
North Uist 73 27.58x
Stirling 73 6.91x
Liverpool 70 0.43x
Bothwell 69 3.46x
Urray 69 35.64x
Boleskine Abertarff 67 59.57x
Falkirk 67 3.42x
Forres 67 18.07x
Glassary 67 19.68x
Dingwall 66 37.62x
New Kilpatrick 66 11.37x
Aberlour 65 43.51x
Kenmore 65 53.50x
Tyree 65 30.22x
Daviot Dunlichity 64 65.61x
Inveravon 64 31.88x
Glenelg 63 50.57x
Kilninian Kilmore 63 32.51x
Paisley Middle Church 63 6.15x
Paisley High Church 62 4.43x
Dalziel 61 7.72x
Logie Wester 60 53.57x
Resolis 60 53.91x
Cambuslang 57 7.70x
Gairloch 57 15.86x
Kilfinichen 57 36.45x
Moulin 57 35.39x
Perth West Church 57 11.79x
Bishopwearmouth 56 0.97x
Everton 55 0.64x
Kingussie Insh 55 35.36x
Blair Athole 53 39.03x
Inverkip 53 12.78x
Little Dunkeld 53 30.65x
Rosskeen 53 18.06x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 243
Elizabeth 112
Margaret 100
Jane 92
Sarah 79
Annie 60
Ann 59
Catherine 50
Alice 41
Jessie 39
Ellen 37
Eliza 32
Isabella 30
Agnes 29
Emily 27
Hannah 24
Emma 23
Helen 21
Janet 21
Martha 20
Anne 19
Charlotte 17
Kate 16
Harriet 15
Florence 13
Frances 13
Flora 12
Louisa 12
Edith 11
Marion 11
Clara 10
Fanny 10
Lucy 10
Caroline 9
Christina 9
Maggie 9
Susan 9
Ada 8
Esther 8
Grace 8
Julia 8
Sophia 8
Maria 7
Betsy 6
Eleanor 6
Elizth. 6
Isabel 6
Lizzie 6
Lydia 6
Margt. 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 258
James 160
William 160
George 88
Alexander 87
Thomas 66
Donald 64
Robert 58
Charles 54
Henry 46
Hugh 31
David 29
Duncan 29
Peter 29
Archibald 25
Joseph 19
Samuel 18
Edward 17
Arthur 16
Richard 14
Walter 13
Alfred 12
Allan 12
Andrew 12
Angus 11
Daniel 11
Frederick 11
Francis 10
Herbert 10
Alex 9
Wm. 9
Kenneth 8
Ewen 7
Frank 7
Harry 7
Thos. 7
Evan 6
Jas. 6
Jno. 6
Neil 5
Robt. 5
Edwin 4
Ernest 4
Jeremiah 4
Lewis 4
Roderick 4
W. 4
Willm. 4
Jacob 3
Murdock 3

FAQ

Cameron surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cameron surname in 1881?

In 1881, 23,281 people were recorded with the Cameron surname. That placed it at #145 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cameron surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 27,703 in 2016. That gives Cameron a modern rank of #204.

What does the Cameron surname mean?

A Scottish surname referring to someone with a crooked nose or a crooked river.

What does the Cameron map show?

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