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Cam Family History

Cam Surname Meaning

Vietnamese: from the Chinese surname 甘 see Gan. Vietnamese (Cầm): from the Chinese surname 琴 see Qin.

English (of Norman origin): habitational name from Caen in Calvados, France, early recorded as Cadum and Cadomum (see Cain). English: habitational name from one of two places called Cam in Gloucestershire and Yorkshire.

English: nickname from an unrecorded Middle English cam (perhaps from Welsh cam) ‘crooked, bent’, also ‘perverse’. Compare Middle English cammed ‘pug-nosed, curved’, probably a derivative of cam.

Scottish: nickname from Gaelic cam ‘crooked; one-eyed, cross-eyed’. 7: Breton (mainly Finistère; also Le Cam): nickname for a lame man from cam, kamm ‘lame’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Cam family from?

You can see how Cam families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cam family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cam families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 73 Cam families living in Yorkshire. This was about 15% of all the recorded Cam's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Cam families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cam surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Cam ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Cam. 34% of Cam men worked as a General Labourer and 75% of Cam women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cam were Lorry Driver and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Cam | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    34%
  • Retired
    23%
  • Bricklayer
    23%
  • Lorry Driver
    23%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Housewife
    5%
  • Private Means
    5%
  • Housekeeper
    5%

What Cam family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 24,000 census records available for the last name Cam. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cam census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cam

Passenger Lists

There are 3,000 immigration records available for the last name Cam. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cam immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 27,000 military records available for the last name Cam. For the veterans among your Cam ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cam military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cam family history

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What is the average Cam lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Cam life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1983, and highest in 1971. The average life expectancy for Cam in 1963 was 83, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cam

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cam ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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