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

Camphor, 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 Camphor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Camphor in America

Camphor is the 80419th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Camphor surname appeared 236 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 Camphor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Camphor 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 Camphor

The surname Camphor is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, though its exact roots are uncertain. Some scholars speculate that it may be derived from the Old English word "camphora," which referred to the aromatic camphor tree resin used in perfumes and medicines. Others suggest it could be a locational surname referring to a place where camphor trees or the resin trade was prevalent.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Camphor appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where a John de Camphora is mentioned as a landowner. This entry indicates that the name was likely already well-established in parts of northern England by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the Camphor surname can be found in various legal and administrative records across England, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which document a Walter Camphora residing in Oxfordshire. The varied spellings of the name during this period, including Camphora, Camfora, and Camfure, reflect the fluidity of medieval English orthography.

By the 14th century, the Camphor surname had spread across different regions of England, as evidenced by entries in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 and the Poll Tax Returns of 1379. These records mention Camphor families residing in counties such as Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Lincolnshire.

One notable figure bearing the Camphor surname was Sir John Camphor (c. 1420-1490), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Bristol. He served as the city's mayor in 1468 and was influential in the expansion of Bristol's maritime trade with continental Europe.

Another prominent individual was Thomas Camphor (1567-1623), an English clergyman and scholar who became the Bishop of Peterborough in 1618. He was known for his theological writings and his involvement in the translation of the King James Bible.

In the 17th century, the Camphor surname gained further recognition through individuals like Edward Camphor (1619-1695), a successful London merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several churches and almshouses in the city.

While the surname Camphor may have originated from the aromatic resin or a locational reference, its longevity and distribution across England over several centuries solidified its place in the country's onomastic history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Camphor

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

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

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

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