Find out how popular the last name Cameron is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cameron.

Cameron, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cameron surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cameron in America

Cameron is the 614th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cameron surname appeared 55,240 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 19 people would have the surname Cameron.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cameron to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name 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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cameron

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cameron.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cameron was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cameron has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cameron was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cameron, please contact us.

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