2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cammenga
A Dutch surname perhaps deriving from a place name such as Kamenga or Kammenga.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Cammenga. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cammenga 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Cammenga in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cammenga, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cammenga
The surname Cammenga originated in the Netherlands, specifically in the northern province of Friesland. It is believed to have emerged during the late Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Frisian word "kamminge," which means "settlement" or "dwelling place." This suggests that the Cammenga family may have originally resided in a specific settlement or village.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Cammenga name can be found in the Frisian charters and manuscripts from the 16th century. These historical documents often referred to individuals by their surnames, providing valuable insights into the origins and prevalence of certain surnames during that period.
Notably, the Cammenga surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. In the 17th century, Jarich Cammenga (1620-1679) was a prominent Frisian writer and poet who made significant contributions to the Frisian literature of his time.
Another notable figure was Anske Cammenga (1776-1846), a renowned Frisian painter known for his landscape paintings and depictions of rural life in Friesland. His works are highly regarded and can be found in various art collections across the Netherlands.
In the 19th century, Auke Cammenga (1825-1899) gained recognition as a Dutch politician and jurist. He served as a member of the Dutch Parliament and played a significant role in shaping legal reforms during his tenure.
In more recent times, Klaas Cammenga (1917-2008) was a distinguished Frisian author and poet, celebrated for his works that captured the essence of Frisian culture and identity. His literary contributions have left a lasting impact on the Frisian literary landscape.
Furthermore, the Cammenga name has been associated with several villages and settlements in the Frisian region, such as Cammenga-State, a small village located in the municipality of Súdwest-Fryslân. This connection further reinforces the theory that the surname may have originated from a specific dwelling place or settlement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cammenga
Among Census respondents with the surname Cammenga, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cammenga 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 Cammenga surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.6% · 115
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cammenga
Cammenga 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+14 bearers (+13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,515 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,484 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.1%) | Up 4,515 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 4,484 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 Cammenga 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 | #138,304 | #142,788 | -3.2% |
| Count | 121 | 119 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cammenga bearers went from 121 to 119 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 4,484 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #142,788.
FAQ
Cammenga surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cammenga?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Cammenga. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Cammenga?
Cammenga ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Cammenga. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cammenga.
Has Cammenga become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cammenga went from 121 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Cammenga?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cammenga, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cammenga in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cammenga appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Cammenga (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 Cammenga mean?
A Dutch surname perhaps deriving from a place name such as Kamenga or Kammenga. 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 Cammenga (0.04 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 common is the surname Cammenga?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Cammenga at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.