Camper
One who travels and lives outdoors in a tent or recreational vehicle.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Camper. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Camper today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Camper births was 2016 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Camper. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Camper. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2016
5 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2016 SSA rank
#12,503
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Camper: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Camper by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Camper during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Camper
The name Camper is believed to have originated from the Middle English word "campen," which means "to encamp" or "to lodge." This word itself derives from the Old French "camper," meaning "to pitch a camp." The name Camper likely emerged during the Late Medieval period, around the 13th to 15th centuries, when it was associated with individuals who were travelers, explorers, or soldiers who frequently camped or lodged outdoors.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Camper can be found in the chronicles of the Hundred Years' War between England and France, which took place from 1337 to 1453. During this conflict, there are mentions of soldiers and mercenaries with the surname Camper, suggesting that the name was already in use as a descriptive term for those who lived a nomadic or encamped lifestyle.
In the 16th century, the name Camper gained prominence with the Dutch Golden Age painter, Camper Fabritius (1622-1654). Born in Middenbeemster, Netherlands, Fabritius was a pupil of Rembrandt and is renowned for his masterpiece, "The Goldfinch," which hangs in the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague.
Another notable figure with the name Camper was the Dutch anatomist and obstetrician, Petrus Camper (1722-1789). He made significant contributions to the study of human anatomy, particularly in the field of craniometry, which involves measuring and classifying skulls. Camper's facial angle, a method he developed for measuring the profile of the human face, was widely used in the 18th and 19th centuries.
In the realm of literature, one cannot overlook the American author and naturalist, Walter Camper (1867-1952). Born in New York, Camper is best known for his book "Camping and Woodcraft," which became a seminal work on outdoor skills and wilderness survival techniques.
Another prominent individual with the name Camper was the American football player and coach, Camper Russell (1923-2011). Russell played as a defensive back for the Cleveland Browns in the late 1940s and later served as a coach for several teams in the National Football League (NFL).
While the name Camper may not be as prevalent as some other names, it carries a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various fields, including art, science, literature, and sports. The name's association with camping, exploration, and outdoor living has endured throughout its evolution, making it a unique and evocative choice for those with a love for adventure and the natural world.
People
Camper + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Camper as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Camper: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Camper?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Camper going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Camper a common name?
We classify Camper as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Camper most popular?
The single biggest year for Camper was 2016, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Camper is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Camper in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Camper a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Camper in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Camper still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Camper in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Camper can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Camper?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.