Camp (surname)
Encyclopedia
Camp is an English
family name
taken from Latin
roots. The name is found in Great Britain and in other places throughout the world settled by the English. According the 2000 census there are fewer than 1300 Camps in the UK. The 2000 US census puts the number at over 27,000, making it the 1087th most common name in America, after McDermott
. The Australian government currently reports 465 persons named Camp. The governments of Canada
, New Zealand
, and South Africa
do not currently provide lists of surnames as the UK and others do. Totals outside the English-speaking world
are also unknown.
"camp", its first use in English, in 1528, being for a "place where an army lodges temporarily", only later transferring to a non-military use sometime after 1560. The French "camp" (later "champ") is itself derived from the Latin
"campus", which also meant an "open field", but also and especially an "open space for military exercise". Coincidentally, the word's martial sense had been borrowed by the Germanic tribes during their conflicts with the Romans
to become the aforementioned "kampo-z".
Throughout the English-speaking world, but especially the United States, the name is sometimes derived from other, often longer, European names (e.g. the Italian "Campesi" or the Dutch "Van de Kamp") which were changed during the process of cultural assimilation
. Camp can also be a shortening or anglicizing of similar French names, such as "de Camp" and "du Camp".
English diaspora
United States Census
Census in the United Kingdom
Census in Australia
Census in Canada
South African National Census of 2001
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
family name
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
taken from Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
roots. The name is found in Great Britain and in other places throughout the world settled by the English. According the 2000 census there are fewer than 1300 Camps in the UK. The 2000 US census puts the number at over 27,000, making it the 1087th most common name in America, after McDermott
McDermott
McDermott is a surname, and may refer to:* Alice McDermott, writer* Alister McDermott, cricketer* Andy McDermott, author* Bill McDermott, executive* Brian McDermott, rugby coach* Brian McDermott, football manager of Reading...
. The Australian government currently reports 465 persons named Camp. The governments of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
do not currently provide lists of surnames as the UK and others do. Totals outside the English-speaking world
English-speaking world
The English-speaking world consists of those countries or regions that use the English language to one degree or another. For more information, please see:Lists:* List of countries by English-speaking population...
are also unknown.
Origins
People with the surname Camp have no single origin or ancestor, the name instead having been chosen by different families over a few centuries. The name is sometimes a variant spelling of "Kemp", which comes from the Old West Germanic "kampo-z", meaning "a contest, or fight", which in turn became the Old English "kemp", for a "fighter" or "soldier." However, the name usually denotes a family whose house was on an open field, or "camp", rather than in the woods or elsewhere. The word was borrowed from the Middle FrenchMiddle French
Middle French is a historical division of the French language that covers the period from 1340 to 1611. It is a period of transition during which:...
"camp", its first use in English, in 1528, being for a "place where an army lodges temporarily", only later transferring to a non-military use sometime after 1560. The French "camp" (later "champ") is itself derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
"campus", which also meant an "open field", but also and especially an "open space for military exercise". Coincidentally, the word's martial sense had been borrowed by the Germanic tribes during their conflicts with the Romans
Migration Period
The Migration Period, also called the Barbarian Invasions , was a period of intensified human migration in Europe that occurred from c. 400 to 800 CE. This period marked the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages...
to become the aforementioned "kampo-z".
Throughout the English-speaking world, but especially the United States, the name is sometimes derived from other, often longer, European names (e.g. the Italian "Campesi" or the Dutch "Van de Kamp") which were changed during the process of cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation is a socio-political response to demographic multi-ethnicity that supports or promotes the assimilation of ethnic minorities into the dominant culture. The term assimilation is often used with regard to immigrants and various ethnic groups who have settled in a new land. New...
. Camp can also be a shortening or anglicizing of similar French names, such as "de Camp" and "du Camp".
Notable people with the Camp surname
- Bob CampBob CampBob Camp is a cartoonist, comic book artist, director, and producer. Camp has been nominated for two Emmys, a CableACE Award, and an Annie Award for his work on The Ren & Stimpy Show.-Career:...
(1954–), American cartoonist and writer - Colleen CampColleen CampColleen Celeste Camp is an American actress and film producer, known for her performances in two installments of the Police Academy series and as Yvette the Maid in the 1985 black comedy Clue. She was also the first actress to play Kristin Shepard in U.S. prime time soap opera Dallas in 1979.Camp...
(1953–), American actress - Dalton CampDalton CampDalton Kingsley Camp, PC, OC was a Canadian journalist, politician, political strategist and commentator and supporter of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Despite having never been elected to a seat in the House of Commons, he was a prominent and influential politician and a popular...
(1920–2002), Canadian politician and commentator - David Lee CampDavid Lee CampDavid Lee "Dave" Camp is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1991. He is a member of the Republican Party and the current Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means.-Early life, education and career:...
(1953–), American politician - Greg CampGreg CampGreg Camp , is an American Grammy Award-nominated songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. He is best known as the founding guitarist and songwriter for the rock band, Smash Mouth...
(1967–), American songwriter, guitarist and vocalist - Hamilton CampHamilton CampHamilton Camp was an English-American singer, songwriter, actor and voice actor.-Early life:Camp was born in London, England, and was evacuated during World War II to the United States as a child with his mother and sister. He became a child actor in films and onstage...
(1934–2005), English-American singer, songwriter and actor - Jeremy CampJeremy CampJeremy Thomas Camp is a contemporary Christian musician from Lafayette, Indiana. Camp has released seven albums, four of them RIAA-certified as Gold and two are live albums, and 17 number-one hit songs...
(1978–), American Christian musician - Jesse CampJesse CampJesse Camp was the winner of the first Wanna Be a VJ contest on MTV. He beat out Dave Holmes for a VJ job on the popular music video show Total Request Live , and also hosted the short-lived Lunch with Jesse, which was canceled in 2002.-Controversy:During the course of Wanna Be a VJ, it was...
(1979–), American music television presenter - John Lafayette CampJohn Lafayette CampJohn Lafayette Camp was an American lawyer and planter from Texas who served in the Texas state Senate and as a district court judge....
(1828–1891), American politician - John Lafayette Camp, Jr.John Lafayette Camp, Jr.John Lafayette Camp, Jr. was a judge in Texas state district court and United States Attorney for the western district of Texas....
(1855–1918), American politician - John H. CampJohn H. CampJohn Henry Camp was a U.S. Representative from New York.Born in Ithaca, New York, Camp attended the common schools, and was graduated from the Albany Law School in 1860....
(1840–1892), American politician - John Newbold CampJohn Newbold CampJohn Newbold Camp, known as Happy Camp was a Republican U.S. Representative from Oklahoma.Born in Enid, Camp attended elementary and high schools in Blackwell, Douglas, and Waukomis. He attended Phillips University in Enid. A banker, he became president of Waukomis State Bank...
(1908–1987), American politician - John Roswell Camp, a.k.a. John SandfordJohn Sandford (novelist)John Sandford is the pseudonym of the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best-selling novelist John Roswell Camp. Camp was born on February 23, 1944, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He received a Bachelor's in American History and a Master's in Journalism from the University of Iowa.From 1971 to 1978,...
(1944-), American journalist and novelist - Lee Camp (comedian)Lee Camp (comedian)Lee Camp is an American comedian, writer, actor, and activist.- Early life and beginnings of career :Camp was born July 21, 1980 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and grew up in Bethesda, Maryland until 1989. His father is a psychoanalyst who served 20 years in the military as a doctor. His...
(1981–), American comedian - Lee Camp (footballer) (1984–), English football (soccer) player
- Rick CampRick CampRick Lamar Camp , is a former professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1976-1985. He played for the Atlanta Braves....
(1952-), American baseball pitcher - Steve CampSteve CampSteven J. Camp is a prominent American Dove Award and Grammy Award-nominated contemporary Christian music artist with an adult contemporary pop sound. He was very popular in the 1980s and early 1990s, where he has sold more than a million albums, who also has written or co-written 21 number one...
(1955-), American Christian musician - Walter CampWalter CampWalter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...
(1859–1925), American football coach and sports writer - Walter Mason CampWalter Mason CampWalter Mason Camp was a respected editor, author, railroad expert and historical researcher.He was born in Camptown, Pennsylvania, and was educated at the Pennsylvania State College. From 1897 until his death, he was the editor of The Railway and Engineering Review a railroad construction and...
(1867–1925), American author, railroad expert, and historian - Wofford Benjamin CampWofford Benjamin CampWofford Benjamin "Bill" Camp was a USDA agronomist who played an instrumental role in the development of corporate farming, particularly of cotton, in California....
(1894–1986), American agronomistAgronomistAn agronomist is a scientist who specializes in agronomy, which is the science of utilizing plants for food, fuel, feed, and fiber. An agronomist is an expert in agricultural and allied sciences, with the exception veterinary sciences.Agronomists deal with interactions between plants, soils, and...
See also
Family nameFamily name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
English diaspora
United States Census
United States Census
The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats , electoral votes, and government program funding. The United States Census Bureau The United States Census...
Census in the United Kingdom
Census in the United Kingdom
Coincident full censuses have taken place in the different jurisdictions of the United Kingdom every ten years since 1801, with the exceptions of 1941 and in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in 1921; simultaneous censuses were taken in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, with...
Census in Australia
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
Census in Canada
Census in Canada
The Census in Canada is a census that takes place every five years. The census is conducted by Statistics Canada. The census provides demographic and statistical data that is used to plan public services including health care, education, and transportation, determine federal transfer payments, and...
South African National Census of 2001
South African National Census of 2001
The South African National Census of 2001 is the most recent national census of South Africa.The census was undertaken by Statistics South Africa and undertook to enumerate every person present in South Africa on the census night, 9–10 October 2001. The enumeration primarily took place from 10 to...