2000
#4,027
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,094
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.00
Uncommon Last name
Camarena
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Camarena in Spain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,086 Americans carry the last name Camarena. That puts it at #3,342 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,360 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Camarena surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,360
Census rank
#3,342
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,540 bearers of the surname Camarena in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3342nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Camarena, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Camarena
The surname Camarena originates from Spain, with its roots traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to derive from the Spanish word "camara," meaning "chamber" or "room," potentially indicating a connection to a chamber or living quarters within a castle or mansion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Camarena surname can be found in the archives of the Archivo General de Indias in Seville, Spain, dating back to the late 16th century. This archive contains documents related to the Spanish colonization of the Americas, suggesting that individuals bearing the Camarena surname may have been among the earliest Spanish settlers in the New World.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various records from the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in the regions of Andalusia and Castile. During this period, the spelling variations "Camarena" and "Cameña" were commonly used.
A notable figure in history with the Camarena surname was Juan de Camarena, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro in the 16th century. Another prominent individual was Pedro Camarena, a Spanish military officer who served in the Spanish-American War of Independence in the early 19th century.
In the late 19th century, the Camarena surname gained recognition with the birth of Enrique Camarena Salazar (1947-1985), a Mexican-American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent who was abducted, tortured, and murdered by Mexican drug traffickers. His death sparked outrage and led to increased cooperation between the United States and Mexico in the fight against drug cartels.
Other notable individuals with the Camarena surname include:
1. José Camarena (1903-1983), a Mexican painter and muralist known for his works depicting the lives of indigenous Mexicans.
2. Dionisio Camarena (1884-1973), a Mexican composer and musician who contributed significantly to the development of mariachi music.
3. Margarita Camarena (1901-1988), a Spanish actress and dancer who gained prominence in the early 20th century for her performances in Spanish theater and film.
4. Valentín Camarena (1804-1882), a Mexican politician and military leader who served as the Governor of Zacatecas in the mid-19th century.
5. María Camarena (1946-present), a Spanish author and journalist known for her works on feminism and social issues.
While the Camarena surname has its origins in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly in Latin American countries with significant Spanish influence, such as Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Camarena
Among Census respondents with the surname Camarena, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Camarena bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Camarena surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino94.7% · 9,982
- White4.3% · 448
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 31
- Two or more races0.3% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 27
- Black or African American0.2% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Camarena
Camarena appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,154
+3,060 bearers (+37.8%)
Per 100,000 3.78
Rank movement Up 790 places
2020
#3,342
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,540
-614 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 3.53
Rank movement Down 105 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,027 | 8,094 | 3.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,237 | 11,154 | 3.78 | +3,060 bearers (+37.8%) | Up 790 places |
| 2020 | #3,342 | 10,540 | 3.53 | -614 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 105 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Camarena surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,237 | #3,342 | -3.2% |
| Count | 11,154 | 10,540 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.78 | 3.53 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Camarena bearers went from 11,154 to 10,540 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 105 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,237 to #3,342.
FAQ
Camarena surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Camarena?
Name Census estimates that about 12,086 living Americans carry the surname Camarena. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,360 residents.
How common is Camarena?
Camarena ranks #3,342 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,540 people with the surname Camarena. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,086), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Camarena.
Has Camarena become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Camarena went from 11,154 recorded bearers to 10,540. That is a decrease of 614 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,237 to #3,342.
What does the Census say about the background of Camarena?
Among Census respondents with the surname Camarena, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 94.7%. The next largest groups are White (4.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Camarena in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (9,982 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Camarena appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (94.7%), White (4.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Camarena (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Camarena mean?
A Spanish habitational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Camarena in Spain. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Camarena (3.53 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Camarena?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.