The baby name Camden reads like a cross between Cameron and London.
Thanks to Tracy for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
THE MEANING OF THE NAME CAMDEN
The baby name Camden started out as a place name. It lost a letter along the way, too. Campden came from camp – enclosure – plus den – valley.
Visit the Cotswolds – the quintessential England of rolling countryside and picturesque villages – to find Chipping Camden. Created as a market town in the 1100s, it’s well-preserved today, once a significant place in the wool trade and now popular with visitors. Chipping comes from an Old English word meaning market.
In the 1700s, politician Charles Pratt was given the title Earl Camden. The area of London known as Camden Town – or just Camden – was named for his title. (The title, in turn, came from Pratt’s family estate, Camden Place.) Because of a key location on the canals and then the rail lines, the area has always bustled with activity. It’s now part of the London Borough of Camden.
But it’s not just commercial activity. Camden has long been a center for bohemian and creative life in London. It’s been home to everyone from Madness to Mary Shelley, Charles Dickens to Oasis. George Orwell and Dylan Thomas lived in the area around the same time. The Camden Markets – there are half a dozen – draw tens of thousands of visitors every weekend, selling everything from music to mirrors. You can watch Kate Winslet walk around the area in her famous ad for American Express.
LONDON to the US
As it happens, Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden, would prove popular in the American Colonies. He opposed British tax policy overseas, making him quite popular with the fledgling nation. As a result, over a dozen places in the US are named Camden, several directly for Pratt.
Camden, New Jersey might be the best known. It’s the biggest city in the US by the name, home to a busy port. The city has struggled in recent decades, which might’ve hurt the name’s image. But plenty of other Camdens shape the our perception of the name, too.
LAST NAME TURNED FIRST NAME
The baby name Camden carries a long history as a place name and surname. Naturally it appears in the name data, too, in small numbers as early as 1915.
It took until the year 1990 for Camden to crack the US Top 1000, though.
What put it there?
- It followed Scottish surname Cameron into greater use, another way to get to friendly nickname Cam.
- Long-running WB series 7th Heaven featured the Camden family from 1996 into 2007.
- In 1992, Camden Yards opened in Baltimore, home of the Baltimore Orioles.
- And, of course, the 1990s were a good moment for place names and two-syllable boy names ending with N.
In 2012, Nick and Vanessa Lachey welcomed a son named Camden. Their choice was inspired by a Los Angeles street name. Around the same time, Kristin Cavallari and Jay Sparks also welcomed their first together – also a son named Camden.
The one-two punch took this already rising name and landed it in the US Top 100, at #99, in 2013.
HOW POPULAR IS THE BABY NAME CAMDEN?
Since peaking in 2013, the baby name Camden has slowly drifted into more sparing use. But as of 2023, it still ranks a healthy #181. That’s comparable to Finn, Maxwell, or Zachary.
MODERN MAINSTAY
Call the baby name Camden a modern mainstay.
It may have rocketed into the rankings, a 1990 debut that no one expected to climb so high. But after thirty years of steady use, the baby name Camden sounds like a strong, reliable name for a son. We associate Camden just barely with London and Baltimore, a name that’s equal parts creative and athletic. And friendly nickname Cam suits nearly any personality.
Now that the name is no longer barreling up the charts, it’s a good choice for parents seeking something current that’s (probably) not the next big thing. It’s a little less expected than Ryan, but not as new as Dutton. That probably hits a sweet spot for plenty of families.
What do you think of the baby name Camden?
First published on February 28, 2011, this post was revised substantially and republished on August 26, 2024.
I like this name a lot, probably because my only association is with the 7th Heaven family… they’re just so darn cute! That show is also the source of my love for the name Simon! Simon Camden. What a kid.
I’ve always liked this name. I find it very handsome.
I love Camden Town! So much fun! But as a result, really can’t mentally associate it with a person.
I meant to say, 2-syllable surnames ending in -an, -en, etc. are ‘at risk’ of being taken over as girl’s names too. Because of Cameron’s increasing popularity as a girl’s name, I expect Camden will be the new Cameron for girls — something “different”.
I can see Camden being used more and more for girls. It seems that about any 2 syllable surname that becomes popular for boys is in danger of soon turning up increasingly in the SSA girls’ column (and indeed there were 176 girls given the name in 2009, up 20 from the previous year).
As for the name’s British connections, Camden isn’t in favor as a boy’s name in England/Wales, ranking at #2126 in 2009 (only 9 boys given the name).
I like the sound of Camden, but would not recommend it as a personal name.
My husband’s cousin has a son named Camden. He must be 1 or 2 and lives in the midwest. His older brother is Quinton. I’m not sure if they go by Quin & Cam. Not really my style of names, but they do match quite well together.
My association with the name is Camden Market in London – though I’ve never been there. I’m not at all familiar with the place in New Jersey. It would be nicer as a name if either place has a special meaning for you.
I guess the harder -den ending (rather than the softer -ron of Cameron) does give it a more masculine feel.
Count me with rockingfetal, I’m originally from NJ and Camden has always been a place I’ve disliked. I’ve been to Camden Town and it’s lovely but gritty, scary Camden, NJ is what comes to mind first since I grew up near-ish to it.
I like Cam, really. But Camden, not so much. That picture up there is all I see. :meh: Sorry!
I think anyone that considers this name must not be anywhere near New Jersey. I’d put it with Brooklyn.
And Hudson.
Yeah… we’re in eastern Michigan. We felt the same way about Flint as a NotD, but for someone who doesn’t live near Flint, Michigan, it might be out of the danger-zone the same way Camden is for us.
Oh, and you’re right–I have two friends who have little Brooklyns, and a friend who has a new son, Hudson. 😉
…and Trenton.
The way rockingfetal feels about Camden, and the way Tracy feels about Flint, is how I feel about Abilene! (I’m not so keen on Dallas, Tyler, Austin, Houston or Addison either, even though they are nice places.)
Camden! Thanks for featuring my suggestion! I should probably point out though, that my ever-so-traditional husband actually likes this name for a girl. I almost fell over. Both for the reason that he actually came to me with a name that he LIKES, and the fact that it is one of those boys-names-for-girls.
I could see Camden both ways, but the husband only loses his scowl when I mention boy names that are very masculine and traditional. He despises Henry, and I want to injure him for it. He didn’t grimace when I mentioned Declan though… very curious.
I talked him into Camden-for-a-girl only if we could use a very feminine, family mn (or two!), like Camden Caroline Marie or Camden Elisabeth Anne. After this discussion, and my submission of Camden to AppMtn, he tells me that he also doesn’t hate Rowan. For a girl.
God help us if we have boys…
I love Camden Town and have spent many hours winding through the booths. Saying that, I probably wouldn’t use it. But I like it better than all the aiden names.