How to say it
CAM · er · on
/ˈkæm.ə.rən/
Masculine
Cameron
Crooked nose
What it means
Scottish Gaelic cam ('crooked') + sròn ('nose'). A clan surname before it became a first name; the original Cameron presumably had a distinctive profile.
Cameron is a Scottish clan name from cam ('crooked') + sròn ('nose'). The original Cameron was presumably someone with a memorable nose; the surname stuck and the clan grew into one of the major Highland families. The surname-to-first-name jump in the US accelerated in the 1970s and the name became reliably unisex in the 1990s. Cam is the standard short for either gender. Cameron Diaz and Cameron Crowe gave it Hollywood currency.
Popularity over time
peaked at #31 in 2000, currently #76 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Cam works for any gender. Some Camerons stay full, particularly women who want to distinguish from masculine Cams.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Cameron Diaz American actress, There's Something About Mary and Charlie's Angels
- James Cameron Filmmaker, Titanic and Avatar (Cameron as surname)
- Cameron Crowe Filmmaker, Almost Famous and Jerry Maguire
Spelling variants
- Camron
- Kameron
Names with the same feeling
See Cameron from another angle
By style