2000
#11,232
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,587
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.96
Rare Last name
Decamp
Derived from a place name meaning "the fields" in French, likely referring to someone who lived near fields.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,843 Americans carry the last name Decamp. That puts it at #12,018 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 120,561 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Decamp 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
2.8K
1 in 120,561
Census rank
#12,018
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,479 bearers of the surname Decamp in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12018th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Decamp, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Decamp
The surname DeCamp has its origins in France, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word 'camp', which referred to a field or open area of land. The prefix 'de' was commonly added to indicate a place of origin or residence.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name DeCamp can be found in the Cartulaire de Chartres, a collection of medieval charters and records from the city of Chartres, France, dating back to the 13th century.
During the Middle Ages, the DeCamp family was known to reside in the Normandy region of northern France. The name is thought to have originated from a specific place or location called 'Camp', although the exact location is unclear.
In the late 14th century, the name appeared in the Livre des Bourgeois de Valenciennes, a register of citizens in the city of Valenciennes, which was part of the County of Hainaut at the time.
One notable figure from history bearing the surname DeCamp was Jean DeCamp, a French soldier and explorer who was part of the expedition led by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, in the late 17th century. DeCamp is recorded as being among the first Europeans to explore parts of what is now Texas and Louisiana.
Another prominent individual was Gaspard DeCamp, a French artist and engraver who lived in the 17th century. He was known for his intricate etchings and engravings, many of which depicted religious and mythological scenes.
In the 18th century, Jacques DeCamp was a respected French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Église Saint-Roch and the Hôtel de Salm.
Jean-Baptiste DeCamp, born in 1793 and died in 1875, was a French military officer who served under Napoleon Bonaparte. He fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Waterloo, and later wrote memoirs recounting his experiences.
Maxime DeCamp, born in 1839 and died in 1892, was a French poet and novelist known for his works exploring themes of love, nature, and the human condition. His most famous work was the poetry collection "Les Fleurs d'Automne" (The Autumn Flowers).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Decamp
Among Census respondents with the surname Decamp, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Decamp 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 Decamp surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.4% · 2,141
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 120
- Two or more races3.7% · 92
- Black or African American3.4% · 85
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Decamp
Decamp 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
#12,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,601
+14 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 773 places
2020
#12,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,479
-122 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 13 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,232 | 2,587 | 0.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,005 | 2,601 | 0.88 | +14 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 773 places |
| 2020 | #12,018 | 2,479 | 0.83 | -122 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 13 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 Decamp 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 | #12,005 | #12,018 | -0.1% |
| Count | 2,601 | 2,479 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.88 | 0.83 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Decamp bearers went from 2,601 to 2,479 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 13 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,005 to #12,018.
FAQ
Decamp surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Decamp?
Name Census estimates that about 2,843 living Americans carry the surname Decamp. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 120,561 residents.
How common is Decamp?
Decamp ranks #12,018 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,479 people with the surname Decamp. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,843), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.83 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Decamp.
Has Decamp become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Decamp went from 2,601 recorded bearers to 2,479. That is a decrease of 122 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,005 to #12,018.
What does the Census say about the background of Decamp?
Among Census respondents with the surname Decamp, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Decamp in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (2,141 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Decamp appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.4%), Hispanic (4.8%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Decamp (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 Decamp mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "the fields" in French, likely referring to someone who lived near fields. 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 Decamp (0.83 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 many people have the surname Decamp?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.