Cameron

KAM-run

Scottish

"crooked nose"

Cameron Origin and Meaning

The name Cameron is a boy's name of Scottish origin meaning "crooked nose".

With its friendly, sensitive, and approachable feel, Cameron is a 90’s favorite that remains popular today. It has a pleasing balance of soft and strong sounds, and holds unisex appeal, thanks to Cameron Diaz. Still, eight times more boys than girls are named Cameron in the US.

Derived from a Scottish surname which in turn comes from the name of a West Highland Clan, Cameron us made up of the Gaelic elements cam and sròn meaning "crooked nose". Not the best of meanings, perhaps, but it is likely to have originated from a nickname given to an 8th century member of the clan. Such nicknames were common in Highland culture, and it lends the name a rugged, outdoorsy feel.

If you were hoping for a different meaning, there is also the theory that the second part of the name may have come from the Gaelic abhainn meaning "river" or the Welsh bryn meaning "hill". In this case, Cameron would be drawn from a village and a district in Fife, Scotland, of the same name.

Used sporadically in the early half of the 20th century, Cameron became a popular choice in Scotland from the 50’s onwards. Shortly afterward, it began to accelerate up the US charts, really taking off in the 90’s, and peaking at #31 in the year 2000.

Its popularity spread to Australia, England and Wales, Canada, and to France too, where it remained a top choice into the early 2010’s. Since then, it has been on a mostly downwards trajectory, though it is still given to 5000 boys – and 600 girls – in the US every year.

Many will associate it with Cameron Frye, the anxious, slightly awkward, but good-hearted best friend in the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Actress Cameron Diaz is another memorable namesake, whose fame popularized Cameron as an option for girls too.

A favorite in the sporting world, the name is worn by American footballer Cameron Jerell Newton, tennis player Cameron Norrie, and Olympic swimmer Cameron McEvoy, just to list a few.

These sporty associations help to give Cameron an energetic vibe to complements its soft and calmer sounds, giving it a more “all-rounder” feel.

Enjoy Cameron, but feeling put off by its meaning or popularity? You could try Camden, Caspian, Callum, Callahan, Cormack, or Cambell instead.

Cameron Rank in US Top 1000

# 58 in the US

Cameron Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 105 on Nameberry

Cameron Popularity

• 58 US 2023
• 105 Nameberry 2024
• 5 Unisex 2023
• 112 Canada 2023
• 118 Future 2028
• 194 England 2021
• 35 Scotland 2023
• 86 New Zealand 2015

20 Names Similar to Cameron

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Cameron.

• Camden
• Cameron
• Carson
• Carter
• Blake
• Brandon
• Chase
• Connor
• Hayden
• Cole
• Ashton
• Cooper
• Cody
• Evan
• Dylan
• Colin
• Logan
• Landon
• Adrian
• Colton

Famous People Named Cameron

• Cameron Bruce Crowe American film director and producer
• Cameron Mitchell (born Cameron McDowell Mitzel) American actor
• Cameron "Cam" McConville Australian racing driver
• Cameron Jerrell "Cam" Newton American football player
• Cameron Phillips Heyward American football player
• (Derek) Cameron Wake American football player
• Cameron Thomaz aka Wiz Khalifa American rapper
• Cameron Anthony Mackintosh British film producer
• Cameron Ezike Giles aka Cam'ron American rapper
• Cameron Matthew Followill musician with American band Kings of Leon
• Cameron John "CJ" Adams American actor
• Cameron Riley Monaghan American actor
• Cameron Alexander Dallas American Viner and actor
• Cameron van der Burgh South African swimmer
• Cameron McEvoy Australian swimmer
• Cameron Morrell Douglas American actor, son of actor Michael Douglas
• Cameron Marley Buffett son of singer Jimmy Buffett
• Cameron Nino son of model and beauty queen Kimmarie Johnson
• Cameron Hallyday (b. 2004) son of singer and racing driver David Hallyday
• Cameron Kade Michaels son of wrestler Shawn Michaels
• Cameron Lincoln Cotter (b. 2016) son of singers Melanie Fiona and Jared Cotter
• Cole Cameron Leinart (b. 2006) son of NFL player Matt Leinart
• James Cameron Canadian director
• Kirk Cameron American actor
• Cameron Boyce American Actor
• Cameron Britton Canadian Actor

Cameron in Pop Culture

• Cameron Frye character in movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"
• Cameron Turner main character on TV's "Alien Dawn"
• Cameron Hicks character on TV's "Alphas"
• Cameron James character in movie "10 things I hate about You"
• Cameron Bledsoe character on TV's "Switched at Birth"
• Cameron Parks character on TV's "A.N.T. Farm"
• Cameron Black main character on TV’s “Deception”
• Cameron Tucker character on TV's "Modern Family"
• Dr. David Cameron character on TV's "Queer as Folk"
• Cameron character on TV's "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles"
• Cameron Mitchell character on TV's "Stargate SG,1"
• Cameron Marsh character on TV's "Evermoor"
• Cameron Campbell character in the Rooster Teeth animated series "Camp Camp"