Van Camp
A Dutch surname meaning “from the camp,” usually marking someone who came from or lived by a camp-like settlement.
The #9,701 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 92,328 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Van Camp is a Dutch surname built from van, meaning “from,” and camp, from a Germanic word for an enclosed field, camp, or settlement. In surnames, this typically pointed to someone who lived near a camp, enclosure, or small settlement, or who came from a place called Camp or De Kamp. The name may also reflect a topographic rather than strictly place-name origin, since “camp” could describe the landscape itself.
History
The surname is most strongly associated with Dutch-speaking regions and later spread to North America through immigration. In the United States, the name is often written as Van Camp, though Vancamp also occurs as a simplified spelling. Like many Dutch surnames, it became hereditary relatively late and then stabilized in family lines after migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Dutch surnames with van often keep a space in standard spelling, but American records frequently merge them into one word, which is why Vancamp and Van Camp can belong to the same family line.