Archibald

Scottish from German
"truly brave"

Archibald Origin and Meaning

The name Archibald is a boy's name of Spanish origin meaning "truly brave".

The short form Archie is so open and friendly --and very trendy in the British Isles--that some parents are now beginning to consider the formerly fusty Archibald as well. SNL comedians Amy Poehler and Will Arnett are one couple who made this breakthrough choice.

After being introduced to England in the twelfth century, Archibald became especially popular in Scotland, where it was in the Top 20 until the 1930s, but later took on a stuffy, aristocratic air. In the US, Archibald ranked as high as Number 279 in 1889.

A notable literary namesake is poet Archibald MacLeish, and Archibald was the full name of both comic-book star Archie Andrews and curmudgeon Archie Bunker. And of course suave Cary Grant was born Archibald Alexander Leach.

# 836 in the US

Archibald Rank in US Top 1000

# 535 on Nameberry

Archibald Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Archibald Popularity

Famous People Named Archibald

  • Archibald Primrose
    5th Earl of Rosebery, 19th century British Prime Minister
  • Archibald Wavell
    1st Earl Wavell, British Viceroy and Governor,General of India
  • Archibald MacLeish
    American poet
  • Archibald Campbell
    1st Marquess of Argyll, 17th century Scottish leader
  • Archibald Sinclair
    1st Viscount Thurso, former leader of the British Liberal Party
  • Archibald Douglas
    6th Earl of Angus, courtier of King James V of Britain
  • Archibald Tait
    former Archbishop of Canterbury
  • Archibald Hill
    Nobel Prize,winning English physiologist
  • Archibald Constable
    Scottish publisher
  • Archibald Alexander Leach
    birth name of English,American actor Cary Grant
  • Archibald Marshall Bell
    American actor
  • Archibald Campbell "Archie" MacLaren
    English cricketer
  • Archibald Butt
    American political aide to President Taft, died in Titanic disaster
  • (Archibald) Marshall Bell
    American actor
  • Archibald William Emerson Arnett
    son of actors Will Arnett and Amy Poehler
  • Archibald Lampman
    Canadian romantic poet

Archibald in Pop Culture

  • Archibald "Archie" Andrews
    from the Archie comics and the TV show Riverdale
  • Archibald Beemis
    character in the Samantha Parkington American Girl series
  • Archibald Simpson
    character on TV's "Degrassi"
  • Archibald "Archie" Campbell
    character in Louisa May Alcott's "Rose in Bloom"
  • Archibald "Moonlight" Graham
    character from the movie "Field of Dreams"
  • Archibald "Archie" Forbes
    character in G. A. Henty's, In Freedom's Cause
  • Nate Archibald
    character in the Gossip Girl series