The town derived its name from the Cambria Construction Company of Pennsylvania, which began to develop the community in the late 1920s, and the fact that, at an elevation of 49 feet, it is one of the three highest points in the borough, together with Jackson Heights and Richmond Hill.

The public elementary schools in Cambria Heights are P.S. 176 and P.S. 147, re-named for astronaut Ronald McNair. There are four magnet high schools on the campus of Andrew Jackson High School, which are dedicated to: arts and humanities; business computer applications; mathematics, science and technology; and law, government and community service. The local Catholic grammar school is Sacred Heart, also with a parish by that name.