Cameron

Cameron means crooked nose, from the Scottish Gaelic cam srón. The physical description became the identifier for Clan Cameron, one of Scotland’s most prominent Highland clans based in Lochaber, Inverness-shire, known for their Jacobite loyalty in the 1745 Rising.

Cameron comes from Scottish Gaelic and the Highland clan tradition. As a given name, it spread through Scottish emigration to North America and entered the US top 100 for boys in 1995. It is now used for both boys and girls, reflecting the trend of adopting Celtic clan surnames as given names.

Cameron ranks #66 for boys in the US in 2024, according to SSA records, with 5,856 registered births. It peaked at rank #36 in 2002 with over 8,000 births. For girls it ranks around 250–350, making boys’ use roughly 4 times higher.

Cameron is predominantly a boys’ name in the US, with roughly 4 times more boys than girls given the name. The feminine spelling Camryn and Kamryn are more common for girls. Actress Cameron Diaz popularized the name for girls in the 1990s–2000s.

Variants include Camryn (feminine American spelling), Kameron and Kamryn (alternate spellings). There is no standard cross-language equivalent outside the British Isles. Nicknames Cam and Cammy are used for both genders. The spelling Cameron is standard in British, American, and Australian English.