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

Camey, 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 Camey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Camey in America

Camey is the 34758th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Camey surname appeared 650 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Camey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Camey 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 Camey

The surname CAMEY is believed to have originated in England, likely in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "cam" or "camm," meaning crooked or bent, and the Old English word "ey," meaning an island or piece of dry ground surrounded by water or marsh.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where it is spelled "Cammeye." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived on a crooked or bent island or piece of land.

Another early reference to the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where it is listed as "Camay." This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during the Middle Ages before they became more standardized.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname CAMEY was John Camey, who was born around 1410 in Somerset, England. He was a landowner and is mentioned in various property records from the mid-15th century.

In the 16th century, the CAMEY surname appears to have been concentrated in the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire. Notable individuals from this period include William Camey (c. 1520-1585), a merchant from Bristol, and Thomas Camey (c. 1545-1612), a farmer from the village of Cameley in Somerset.

During the 17th century, the name spread to other parts of England, including London. One prominent figure was Samuel Camey (1628-1693), a wealthy merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers in London.

In the 18th century, the CAMEY surname can be found in various records across England, including parish registers and tax rolls. Notable individuals from this period include John Camey (1712-1789), a member of the Royal Society of Arts, and Elizabeth Camey (1735-1812), a philanthropist who founded a school for poor children in her hometown of Bristol.

As the centuries progressed, the CAMEY surname continued to be present in various regions of England, with some families also migrating to other parts of the British Isles and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Camey

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

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 Camey 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 Camey 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 Camey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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