Campbell
Campbell was the 617th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 474 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 515 places. More babies were named Campbell in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning crooked mouth · Scottish Gaelic
Say it KAM-bul /ˈkæmbəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #617 girls, up 573 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 474girls
- Girls and boys
- 53% girls, 47% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025474 babies
- Total since 1880
- 13,514babies recorded
What does the name Campbell mean?
Campbell is a Scottish surname from Gaelic Caimbeul, made of cam 'crooked' and beul 'mouth', originally a nickname, as Wiktionary notes; compare Cameron, 'crooked nose'. The Campbells became one of the most powerful Highland clans, led by the Dukes of Argyll. In Ireland the surname also renders Mac Cathmhaoil. As a first name it is used for both boys and girls; Wiktionary notes girls' use from the 2000s.
cam (Scottish Gaelic, “crooked”)beul (Scottish Gaelic, “mouth”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: Scottish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Campbell', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Nicknames for Campbell
The usual nicknames for Campbell are Cam.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cam · also for Cameron, Camden, Camryn | Modern | #11,127 | 23 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Campbells go by each one.
Campbell popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #617 | #764 | 474 | 337 |
| 2020 | #1,190 | #1,166 | 195 | 165 |
| 2010 | #758 | #1,031 | 360 | 188 |
| 2000 | #2,952 | #1,097 | 48 | 128 |
| 1990 | #9,381 | #4,445 | 8 | 12 |
| 1980 | — | #4,183 | — | 9 |
| 1970 | — | #3,897 | — | 7 |
| 1960 | — | #2,442 | — | 12 |
| 1950 | — | #1,888 | — | 16 |
| 1940 | — | #3,180 | — | 6 |
| 1930 | — | #1,978 | — | 15 |
| 1920 | — | #1,897 | — | 18 |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Campbell, counting every spelling?
Campbell is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #604 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #617 for Campbell on its own. Together these spellings went to 489 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell | 474 | #617 | 1,371 |
| Kampbell | 15 | #7,304 | 29 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Campbell?
474 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Campbell (0.13 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Campbell born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 18 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Campbell.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Campbell?
About 7,200 people born in the US named Campbell are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 8 and 20. That makes Campbell mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Campbell by state
How common Campbell was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Alabama (3.5×), South Carolina (3.4×), Tennessee (3.3×), North Carolina (2.7×), Georgia (2.2×). In 19 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Campbell: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Campbell, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Campbell · Sibling names for Campbell
Questions about the name Campbell
What does Campbell mean?
Campbell means “crooked mouth” (Scottish Gaelic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Campbell?
Campbell was the 617th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 474 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 515 places. More babies were named Campbell in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Campbell a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 53% girls, 47% boys given the name Campbell in the US.
Where is Campbell most popular?
In 2021–2025, Campbell was most common in Alabama (0.59 per 1,000 girls), followed by South Carolina and Tennessee.