2000
#11,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,627
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.97
Uncommon Last name
Kamara
A surname of West African origin, possibly derived from a word meaning "teacher" or "wise one" in the Mandinka language.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,372 Americans carry the last name Kamara. That puts it at #3,827 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,046 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kamara 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 Kamara with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 33,046
Census rank
#3,827
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.0K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,045 bearers of the surname Kamara in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3827th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamara, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kamara
The surname Kamara has its origins in West Africa, particularly in the countries of Guinea, Mali, and Senegal. It is believed to have originated from the Mandinka language, spoken by the Mandinka people, who are primarily found in these regions.
Kamara is derived from the Mandinka word "kama," which means "traveler" or "stranger." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were travelers or newcomers to a particular area. It is also possible that the name was initially used to identify someone who had a distinctive appearance or behavior that set them apart from the local population.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Kamara can be traced back to the 13th century in West African historical records and manuscripts. During this time, the region was home to several powerful empires, such as the Mali Empire and the Songhai Empire, which played a significant role in the spread of trade and cultural exchange across the continent.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Kamara was Sundiata Keita, also known as Mari Djata or Lion Prince. He was a legendary ruler of the Mali Empire who lived from around 1190 to 1255 AD. His exploits and military victories are documented in the Epic of Sundiata, an oral tradition that has been passed down through generations.
Another notable figure with the surname Kamara was Abubakari Kamara II, who ruled the Imamate of Futa Jallon (present-day Guinea) from 1751 to 1758. He was a prominent military leader and played a crucial role in the expansion of the Imamate's territories.
In the 19th century, a number of individuals with the surname Kamara were involved in the resistance against French colonization in West Africa. One such figure was Samory Touré, also known as Samory Kamara, who was a military leader and the founder of the Wassoulou Empire (present-day Guinea and Mali). He fiercely resisted French conquest from 1882 until his capture in 1898.
During the 20th century, the surname Kamara continued to be prevalent in West Africa, and several notable individuals bore this name. For instance, Abdoulaye Kamara was a Malian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mali from 1966 to 1969.
Another prominent figure was Siriman Kamara, a Malian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mali from 1978 to 1982. She was also the first woman to hold this position in Mali.
While the surname Kamara has its roots in West Africa, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical significance and cultural connections of this surname remain firmly rooted in the rich tapestry of West African history and traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kamara
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamara, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Kamara 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 Kamara surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.6% · 8,467
- White2.5% · 225
- Two or more races2.3% · 207
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 97
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kamara
Kamara 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
#5,530
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,288
+3,661 bearers (+139.4%)
Per 100,000 2.13
Rank movement Up 5,565 places
2020
#3,827
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,045
+2,757 bearers (+43.8%)
Per 100,000 3.03
Rank movement Up 1,703 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,095 | 2,627 | 0.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,530 | 6,288 | 2.13 | +3,661 bearers (+139.4%) | Up 5,565 places |
| 2020 | #3,827 | 9,045 | 3.03 | +2,757 bearers (+43.8%) | Up 1,703 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 Kamara 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 | #5,530 | #3,827 | 30.8% |
| Count | 6,288 | 9,045 | 43.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.13 | 3.03 | 42.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kamara bearers went from 6,288 to 9,045 (+43.8% change). The surname moved up 1,703 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,530 to #3,827.
FAQ
Kamara surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kamara?
Name Census estimates that about 10,372 living Americans carry the surname Kamara. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,046 residents.
How common is Kamara?
Kamara ranks #3,827 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,045 people with the surname Kamara. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,372), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Kamara.
Has Kamara become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kamara went from 6,288 recorded bearers to 9,045. That is an increase of 2,757 (+43.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,530 to #3,827.
What does the Census say about the background of Kamara?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kamara, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kamara in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (8,467 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kamara appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (93.6%), White (2.5%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Kamara (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 Kamara mean?
A surname of West African origin, possibly derived from a word meaning "teacher" or "wise one" in the Mandinka language. 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 Kamara (3.03 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 common is the surname Kamara?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Kamara at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.