Camber History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient roots of the Camber family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Camber comes from when the family lived in a small valley. The surname Camber is derived from the Old English word cumb, which means valley. The surname Camber belongs to the large class of Anglo-Saxon topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees.

Alternatively, the name could have been an occupational name for 'the comber,' as in 'the wool comber.' ^[1] "The early importance of this occupation was bound to create and preserve this surname. " ^[2]

Early Origins of the Camber family

The surname Camber was first found in various counties an shires throughout ancient Britain. By example, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Richard le Cumbere in Cambridgeshire; and John le Cumbur in Oxfordshire. ^[2]

William le Combere was listed in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1260 and later, John Comber was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. ^[3]

Early History of the Camber family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Camber research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1260, 1296, 1575, 1653, 1631, 1645, 1575, 1645, 1699, 1689, 1644, 1660 and 1649 are included under the topic Early Camber History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Camber Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Camber has appeared include Comber, Comer, Commber, Commer, Combers, Commers and others.

Early Notables of the Camber family (pre 1700)

Notables of this surname at this time include: Thomas Comber (1575-1653), an English linguist, Dean of Carlisle and Master of Trinity College, Cambridge (1631-1645.) He was born at Shermanbury, Sussex, on 1 Jan. 1575, being the twelfth son of his father, who was a barrister-at-law. ^[4] Thomas Comber (1645-1699), was an English churchman from Barkham, Sussex, Dean of Durham from 1689. He "was descended from an ancient family at Barkham, Sussex. His father, James Comber, was the fourth son of John Comber, who was uncle to Thomas Comber, Dean of Carlisle. Thomas was born at Westerham on 19 March 1644-5...
Another 98 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Camber Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Camber family to Ireland

Some of the Camber family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Camber migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Camber arrived in North America very early:

Camber Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Fr Camber, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 ^[5]
William Camber, who landed in Maryland in 1679 ^[5]

The Camber Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Sapiens dominabitur astris
Motto Translation: A wise man can rule the stars.

Citations +

^ Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
^ Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
^ Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
^ Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
^ Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)