Camus
A surname derived from the French word for crooked, referring to someone with a physical deformity or disability.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 823 Americans carry the last name Camus. That puts it at #32,396 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 416,469 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Camus surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
823
1 in 416,469
Census rank
#32,396
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
710
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 710 bearers of the surname Camus in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 32396th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Camus, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Camus
The surname Camus originated from France, specifically the Normandy region. It first appeared in records during the early Middle Ages, around the 11th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old French word "camus," meaning "flat-nosed" or "snub-nosed." This descriptor likely referred to a distinctive facial feature of an early bearer of the name.
Camus is believed to have emerged as a surname during the wave of surname adoption that occurred in France after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. As the new aristocratic class sought to solidify their identities, many surnames were derived from physical characteristics, occupations, or places of origin.
The earliest known record of the Camus surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and wealth commissioned by William the Conqueror. This entry suggests that the Camus name was already established in Normandy before the conquest.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the Camus surname was Raoul Camus, a Norman lord who lived in the 12th century and participated in the Third Crusade (1189-1192). Another notable early bearer was Guillaume Camus, a French nobleman and military commander who served under King Philip IV (1268-1314).
During the Middle Ages, the Camus name also appeared in various spellings, such as Camus, Camus, and Cammus, reflecting the flexible nature of surname spelling at the time. Some of these variations may have been influenced by the place names from which certain branches of the family originated.
In the 16th century, Jean Camus (1584-1629) was a French jurist and author who served as the Lieutenant General of the Bailiwick of Calais. Another famous bearer was the French philosopher and writer Albert Camus (1913-1960), who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1957 for his significant literary works, including "The Stranger" and "The Plague."
Other notable individuals with the Camus surname include Jean-Pierre Camus (1584-1652), a French theologian and bishop; Armand Gaston Camus (1740-1804), a French mathematician and philosopher; and Georges Camus (1914-2008), a French politician and member of the Resistance during World War II.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Camus
Among Census respondents with the surname Camus, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Camus bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Camus surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.3%
- Hispanic or Latino16.6%
- Asian and Pacific Islander9.3%
- Two or more races2.5%
- Black or African American1.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Camus surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #32,396 | #32,396 | 0.0% |
| Count | 710 | 710 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Camus bearers went from 710 to 710 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #32,396 to #32,396.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Camus
FAQ
Camus surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Camus?
The surname Camus holds position #32,396 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 823 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Camus surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Camus, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (9.3%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.