Baby Name of the Day: Campbell

The baby name Campbell belongs to a Scottish clan and an iconic can.

Thanks to Marie for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

WHAT DOES THE NAME CAMPBELL MEAN?

There’s no question that the baby name Campbell comes from Scotland, and is typically considered a surname.

Like nearly any surname, especially accessible ones of English, Irish, and Scottish origin, they were sometimes used as firsts – almost always because they were a family name.

That’s changed in recent generations, with families embracing the style, rather than using a relative’s surname as a child’s given name.

One strike against Campbell: it has a twisted meaning. Quite literally.

It comes from the Gaelic cam – crooked or bent – and beul – mouth. So Campbell means “crooked mouth” and might have originated as a nickname.

Some suggest it might mean wry. A crooked smile can suggest dry humor or sarcasm. 

Another intriguing meaning: in Latin, Campbell was reinterpreted as de bello campo. It even became Beauchamp in Anglo-Norman. Translate that back into English, and it means “the beautiful field.” 

CLAN CAMPBELL

Something else that defines the way we think about this name?

Clan Campbell, an ancient and storied Highland Scottish clan, dating to the thirteen century. The clan chief is also the Duke of Argyll. 

Their descendants might embrace the name for a child, just like they embrace the Black Watch tartan.

CAMPBELL’S SOUP

In 1869 New Jersey, Abraham Anderson and Joseph A. Campbell founded a processed food company. They sold canned vegetables and soups from their earliest days in business.

Anderson even named his son Campbell.

There’s plenty more company history, but let’s say this: the Campbell’s soup can is among the most iconic food packaging items of our time. Andy Warhol painted it in 1962; it elevated a familiar grocery store staple to a piece of pop art history. 

It’s not like naming your child Dasani. Campbell has been a bona fide name for generations. If anything, the tie-in adds a surprising sort of fun to the name.

FAMOUS FIGURES CALLED CAMPBELL

Plenty of famous people – real and fictional – answer to the name.

• Journalist Campbell Brown was an Emmy-winning television news anchor early in the 2000s. 
• American actor  Campbell Scott has had a long career, appearing on television series and narrating audio books for everyone from Stephen King to Nicholas Sparks. He’s the son of legendary actor George C. Scott. The elder Scott’s C. also stands for Campbell. It’s a family name on his mother’s side.
• Jodi Picoult’s novel My Sister’s Keeper gives us a heart-breaking story about illness and loss. Campbell Alexander is the fictional attorney who represents the younger sister. Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin starred in the 2009 film adaptation.

Factor in the surname and the list expands dramatically. There’s everyone from actress Neve Campbell to country music’s singer-songwriter Glen Campbell to supermodel Naomi Campbell and scholar of religion and mythology Joseph Campbell.

HOW POPULAR IS THE BABY NAME CAMPBELL?

In the United States, Social Security Administration data reports baby names given to at least five boys or girls beginning with the year 1880.

As early as 1881, five boys were named Campbell.

There’s a steady drip of boys receiving the name, but it wasn’t until 1989 that Campbell debuted in the SSA data as a girls’ name.

Earlier in the 21st century, the name ranked in the US Top 1000 for both boys and girls, but it faded.

And then in 2024, that trend reversed. The baby name Campbell returned to the US Top 1000 most popular names at #922 for boys and #951 for girls. That makes it a gender neutral possibility with momentum.

STYLISH SCOTTISH SURNAME

Campbell might be the perfect Scottish heritage choice for families looking for a first name that’s a little on the unexpected side, but still mainstream. 

It’s easy to imagine a little girl Campbell answering to Cammie or Bella. At the same time, Cam names like Cameron and Camden are established, masculine choices. This name feels effortlessly unisex.

While the baby name Campbell has been in the spotlight before, the 2020s just might be the perfect moment for this name.

What do you think of the baby name Campbell?

First published on March 9, 2010, this post was revised on May 16, 2025.