Camara

Camara is a surname of West African origin, commonly found among Mandé-speaking populations in Guinea, Mali, Senegal, and The Gambia, and widely represented in the African diaspora. The spelling Camara is one of several transliterations of the name, with Kamara and Kamara as closely related forms in many languages. The name is associated with a range of notable figures in politics, sports, and the arts across Africa and in Europe and the Americas, reflecting historical migration and settlement.

In addition to being a surname, Camara appears as a place-name element in various countries, reflecting linguistic and historical influences on toponyms. The same root forms are found in Romance languages in diacritic variants such as cámara (Spanish) and câmara (Portuguese), which mean chamber or room; these forms sometimes influence geographic or institutional names in regions where those languages are spoken.

Overall, Camara functions primarily as a personal surname but can also appear in geographic and institutional contexts through historical naming practices and language contact. Variants of the name, including Kamara, Kamara, and related spellings, are common in academic and public records and may reference different families, regions, or historical lineages.