Given name & surname
Cam
“crooked nose”·“a ceremonial attendant; a noble virgin”
In English use, Cam is a diminutive of Cameron. The Highland surname grew from a historical nickname meaning “crooked nose.” This describes the nickname’s origin, not anyone who bears the name today. Cam is a variant of Camilla. In Italian use, Camilla carries the interpretation “a ceremonial attendant; a noble virgin.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Cam is a diminutive of Cameron. The Highland surname grew from a historical nickname meaning “crooked nose.” This describes the nickname’s origin, not anyone who bears the name today. Cam is a variant of Camilla. In Italian use, Camilla carries the interpretation “a ceremonial attendant; a noble virgin.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Cam is a diminutive of Cameron. The Highland surname has a Gaelic background. Some Lowland families may instead have acquired it through a Norman place-name surname.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Cam is a diminutive of Cameron. In English use, Cam is a diminutive of Cameron. The shared background comes through Cameron: Gaelic cam shron explains the Highland form. A separate proposed route connects some Lowland Camerons with Cambernon in Normandy.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1892. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Cam is a diminutive of Cameron. The history of Cameron gives this family its wider story. The surname is associated with a Highland clan and later became a given name.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Cam through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,195
- 2,794 boys · 401 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 139 babies
- 2025
- 139
- #1,395 for boys · #11,127 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +32%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 131 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,395 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 33.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 8 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (11). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 6,632 as a first name in 2020; 1,395 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Cam’s family of names
In English usage, Cam is a diminutive of Cameron. Cam has a related form in Camilla. Cam has a related form in Cameron.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Cam
- Cam ClarkeAmerican voice actorborn 1957
- Cam GigandetAmerican actorborn 1982
- Cam NewtonAmerican football player (born 1989)
- Cam FowlerCanadian-born American ice hockey playerborn 1991
- Cam NeelyCanadian ice hockey playerborn 1965
- Cam ReddishAmerican basketball player (born 1999)
- Cam WardCanadian ice hockey playerborn 1984
- Cam ThomasAmerican basketball player (born 2001)
- Cam TalbotCanadian ice hockey playerborn 1987
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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