Cameron Name Meaning, Origins & History

Cameron

Pronunciation: KAM-uh-run / KAM-run

Meaning Crooked nose Origin surnames Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#76
TREND
10
GIRLS RANK
#487
TREND
2

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Cameron in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Cameron

  • An established favorite: Cameron held a place in the U.S. top 100 for 39 consecutive years, from 1987 through 2025.
  • Still popular, but losing ground: Cameron's rank fell 27 places between 1995 and 2025, while remaining in the top 100.
  • More than 344 thousand babies named Cameron: U.S. records list 344,855 babies given the name Cameron from 1880 through 2025. Even 32,227 girls received the name Cameron - about 1 girl for every 10 boys.

What Does the Name Cameron Mean?

Cameron is a Scottish surname and given name meaning "crooked nose," from Scottish Gaelic Camshron, built from cam ("crooked, bent") and sròn ("nose"). The literal sense is a descriptive nickname for someone with a crooked or bent nose. A competing explanation treats Cameron as a topographic or habitational name from a place named with the same Gaelic elements, such as Cameron in Fife, where sròn can mean "point" or "promontory." The nickname explanation is the one most often given for the Highland surname and for the given name derived from it; the exact origin of any single early family is often uncertain.

Cameron Name History & Origins

The surname Cameron is associated with Clan Cameron, a Scottish Highland clan whose traditional lands lie in Lochaber, Inverness-shire. The clan's Gaelic name is Clann Camshroin, and traditional clan history connects the name to an early ancestor nicknamed for a crooked nose. The Gaelic form Camshron was anglicized as Cameron. A place called Cameron in Fife is sometimes cited as a separate source of the surname, which means that not all families named Cameron need share a single origin.

As a given name, Cameron is a transferred use of the surname. It began to be used as a first name in the English-speaking world in the 19th century. In the 20th century it also came into use as a feminine given name, and it is now used for both boys and girls.

How Popular is the Name Cameron?

Cameron remained among the top 100 boy names in the U.S. from 1987 to 2025. Its highest annual birth count was in 2000, and people born that year turn 26 in 2026.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Explore Name Lists Featuring Cameron

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

Established Favorite Boy Names

Established Boy Names: Favorites Through the Years

Falling Favorite Boy Names

Falling Baby Names: Favorites Losing Popularity

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How the Name Cameron Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.

You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.

✦ Cameron's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Cameron's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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