2000
#23,698
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 997
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.37
Rare Last name
Kamel
A surname derived from the Arabic word for camel.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,487 Americans carry the last name Kamel. That puts it at #13,421 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 137,818 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kamel 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kamel with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 137,818
Census rank
#13,421
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,169 bearers of the surname Kamel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13421st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamel, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kamel
The surname Kamel is of Arabic origin, derived from the word "jamal" which means "camel" in Arabic. It is believed to have originated in the Middle East during the medieval period, particularly in regions where camel trading and transportation played a significant role in the economy and culture.
The name Kamel is thought to have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for individuals who worked with camels, such as camel herders, traders, or those involved in camel-related industries. Over time, these nicknames became hereditary surnames passed down through generations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kamel can be found in the "Kitab al-Aghani" (Book of Songs), a renowned collection of Arabic poetry and biographical accounts compiled in the 9th century. It mentions several individuals with the surname Kamel, suggesting its use during the Abbasid Caliphate era.
In the 11th century, the famous Arab philosopher and polymath Al-Ghazali (1058-1111) had a student named Abu Bakr al-Kamel, indicating the prevalence of the name in scholarly circles during that time period.
During the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt and Syria (1250-1517), the name Kamel gained prominence as several members of the ruling elite bore this surname. One notable figure was Kamel al-Din al-Sanjari (1301-1376), a prominent scholar and writer who served as the Chief Qadi (Judge) of Damascus.
In the 14th century, the name Kamel also appeared in the Moroccan city of Fez, where a family of scholars and religious leaders carried this surname. One of the most renowned members was Abu al-Qasim al-Kamel (1349-1422), a renowned Islamic jurist and scholar.
Another notable figure with the surname Kamel was Mustafa Kamel (1874-1908), an Egyptian nationalist and political leader who played a significant role in the Egyptian struggle for independence from British rule in the early 20th century.
While the name Kamel has its roots in the Arab world, it has since spread to other regions and cultures through migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the Middle Eastern and Islamic traditions, reflecting the importance of camels in the region's history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kamel
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamel, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Kamel 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 Kamel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 1,933
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 84
- Two or more races3.0% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 62
- Black or African American1.0% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kamel
Kamel 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
#18,633
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,477
+480 bearers (+48.1%)
Per 100,000 0.50
Rank movement Up 5,065 places
2020
#13,421
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,169
+692 bearers (+46.9%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Up 5,212 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,698 | 997 | 0.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,633 | 1,477 | 0.50 | +480 bearers (+48.1%) | Up 5,065 places |
| 2020 | #13,421 | 2,169 | 0.73 | +692 bearers (+46.9%) | Up 5,212 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 Kamel 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 | #18,633 | #13,421 | 28.0% |
| Count | 1,477 | 2,169 | 46.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.50 | 0.73 | 45.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kamel bearers went from 1,477 to 2,169 (+46.9% change). The surname moved up 5,212 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,633 to #13,421.
FAQ
Kamel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kamel?
Name Census estimates that about 2,487 living Americans carry the surname Kamel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 137,818 residents.
How common is Kamel?
Kamel ranks #13,421 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 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 2,169 people with the surname Kamel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,487), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 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 Kamel.
Has Kamel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kamel went from 1,477 recorded bearers to 2,169. That is an increase of 692 (+46.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,633 to #13,421.
What does the Census say about the background of Kamel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamel, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Kamel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (1,933 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kamel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Kamel (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 Kamel mean?
A surname derived from the Arabic word for camel. 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 Kamel (0.73 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 share the surname Kamel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.