Given name & surname
Cameron
“crooked nose”
Cameron is a Scottish surname used as a given name, with a longstanding Highland clan association.
Meaning & origin
What it means
The Highland surname grew from a historical nickname meaning “crooked nose.” This describes the nickname’s origin, not anyone who bears the name today.
Where it comes from
The Highland surname has a Gaelic background. Some Lowland families may instead have acquired it through a Norman place-name surname.
How it developed
Gaelic cam shron explains the Highland form. A separate proposed route connects some Lowland Camerons with Cambernon in Normandy.
The story
The surname is associated with a Highland clan and later became a given name.
Cameron through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 344,896
- 312,661 boys · 32,235 girls
- Most popular year
- 2000
- 14,363 babies
- 2025
- 4,962
- #76 for boys · #487 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −12%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 90% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 4,348 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 76 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 14.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 12,767 in 2000. It also appeared in 614 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (326). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 280,514 as a first name in 2020; 52,870 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.
Cameron’s family of names
In English usage, Cameron has a diminutive in Cam. In English usage, Cameron has a related form in Kameron. In English usage, Cameron has a related form in Camryn.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 34
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Kameronvariant · English
- Kamrynvariant · English
- Camrynvariant · English
- Camdiminutive · English
- Camronvariant · English
- Kamronvariant · English
- Camrenvariant
- Camerynvariant
Show 26 moreShow fewer
- Camivariant
- Cameranvariant
- Camryvariant
- Camrivariant
- Cammiediminutive · English
- Camrievariant
- Camreevariant
- Camievariant
- Camerenvariant
- Cammeronlikely variant
- Camerronlikely variant
- Cameavariant
- Cameevariant
- Cameyvariant
- Camyvariant
- Camreyvariant
- Camrunvariant
- Camrinvariant
- Camranvariant
- Camerinvariant
- Cameronnlikely variant
- Camreavariant
- Camaeronvariant
- Camerovariant
- Cameroonvariant
- Camerunvariant
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Cameron
- Cameron DiazAmerican actress and modelborn 1972
- Wiz KhalifaAmerican rapper, singer and actor (born 1987)
- Cameron BoyceAmerican actor (1999–2019)
- Cam ClarkeAmerican voice actorborn 1957
- Cam GigandetAmerican actorborn 1982
- Cameron CroweAmerican filmmaker and journalist (born 1957)
- Cameron MonaghanAmerican actor and modelborn 1993
- Cameron Borthwick-JacksonEnglish association football player (born 1997)
- Cameron JeromeBritish footballer (born 1986)
Characters named Cameron: Cameron Mitchell (Stargate character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Cameron, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Logan
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91% boys · 9% girls
Dillon
“resembling a lion; a faithful man”
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Grant
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Graham
“from the gravelled area; from the gray home”
>99% boys
Rhys
“ardour” · “having great enthusiasm for life”
95% boys · 5% girls
Aidan
“one who is fiery; little fire” · “a fiery young man”
99% boys · 1% girls
Ryan
“the little ruler; little king”
90% boys · 10% girls
Carter
“a transporter of merchandise” · “one who transports goods; one who drives a cart”
93% boys · 7% girls