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Camden Name Meaning, Origins & History

Camden

Pronunciation: KAM-dun

Meaning From the twisting valley Origin surnames Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#205
TREND
12
GIRLS RANK
#1,428
TREND
149
Peak Years
2013, 2014, 2015
Lowest Years
1915, 1923, 1921
Energy Archetype
Cheerful & Expressive

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Camden in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Camden

  • More than 63 thousand babies named Camden: U.S. records list 63,078 babies given the name Camden from 1880 through 2025. Even 3,922 girls received the name Camden - about 1 girl for every 15 boys.

What Does the Name Camden Mean?

Camden is an English place name and surname meaning "Cada's valley." It joins the Old English personal name Cada, a short form whose longer original is not recorded, with denu, the Old English word for "valley." Names of this type usually described a piece of land held or settled by a particular person, so the sense is "the valley belonging to Cada." Some explanations instead take the second element as dūn, Old English for "hill," which would give "Cada's hill." The surviving early forms of the name do not clearly settle which element came first.

Camden Name History & Origins

Camden is habitational: it began as a surname taken from a place, not as a personal name. The best-known early bearer is William Camden (1551 - 1623), the English antiquary and historian, who bought an estate at Chislehurst in Kent and named it Camden Place. His family surname came from a place name, and the usual explanation of that place name is the one given above.

The name entered the peerage in 1765, when the lawyer and politician Charles Pratt was created Baron Camden, taking his title from Camden Place at Chislehurst; he was later made Earl Camden. In the early nineteenth century, land owned by the Pratt family north of London was built up, and the district became known as Camden Town, which in turn gave its name to the London borough. The New Jersey city of Camden was named for the Earl Camden as well.

Camden became a personal first name much later, in the twentieth century, and mainly in the United States, where it is given chiefly to boys. This use is separate from the older British surname and place name, and it follows the wider English practice of adopting surnames and place names as given names.

How Popular is the Name Camden?

Camden recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2013. Camden entered the top 100 U.S. boy names in 2013.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

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How the Name Camden Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.

Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.

✦ Camden's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Camden's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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