Camille Name Meaning: Origin, Popularity & Nicknames

What Does Camille Mean?

Camille is a variation on the similar name Camilla. The name refers to the acolyte or helper to a priest, though its meaning has evolved.

Originally, the name had a religious meaning but has influences from mythology, theater, and opera. Over time, it has gained new meanings.

Camille is considered a dramatic and lovely name, often compared to the flower type of a similar name, camellias.

What Is the Origin of the Name Camille?

Camille is a French gender-neutral name with Latin origins. Over time, it came under the influence of mythology and literature, in the form of theatrical plays.

Alexandre Dumas wrote “The Lady of the Camellias,” a novel that became famous as a stage production in 1852. Titled “La Traviata” and one of the masterpieces of Giuseppe Verdi, the production met with great success.

When adapting the book and play for an English-speaking audience, the protagonist’s name became Camille. Many began to associate the name Camille primarily with the works of Dumas and Verdi ⁽¹⁾.

In mythology, the name Camille refers to the Amazon warrior Camilla. In the epic poem, the “Aeneid,” Camilla is a queen. She is the daughter of the goddess Diana, who raises her to become a great warrior. In many adaptions of the epic, the name Camilla changes to Camille ⁽²⁾.

How Popular Is the Name Camille?

The name Camille has had very consistent popularity over the years. Camille has not dropped out of the top 1000 most popular baby names for over 100 years.

Although the name Camille is gender-neutral, it is more popular as a gender-neutral name in its original French and more popular as a girl’s name in English-speaking countries.

Since 2000, Camille has only dropped out of the top 300 names for girls twice. Camille hit the ranks of #306 and #305 in 2006 and 2007, respectively.

At this time, Camille remains a popular name in the United States, and based on its consistency, Camille is estimated to stay in the top 500 for many years to come ⁽³⁾.

How Do I Pronounce Camille?

The name Camille is pronounced, “KA-meel”. The name rhymes with the word “oatmeal.”

Is Camille a Boy or Girl Name?

Camille is a gender-neutral or unisex given name in French. However, in English, it is a girl’s name.

Variations of Camille

The name Camille has many variations aside from its French origin.

• Camilla (Latin, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Norwegian, Swedish)
• Camelia (Romanian)
• Kamil (Slovakian)
• Kamila (Czech)
• Kamilla (Danish, Russian)
• Kamilė (Lithuanian)
• Milla (Finnish)
• Millie (English)

Nicknames for Camille

Many people find these nicknames for Camille to be catchy and cute.

• Cam
• Cami
• Camy
• Mila
• Milla
• Millie
• Milly

Similar Names to Camille

You may like the name Camille, but still exploring other names. Let’s look at names that you may also find interesting and inspiring. Some of the following names are also gender-neutral French names.

• Artois
• Bailey
• Belle
• Bellamie
• Celeste
• Ciel
• Corinne
• Darcy
• Emille
• Jules
• Laura
• Lucienne
• Remy
• Vanessa

Middle Names for Camille

If your family has a tradition of using middle names, here are some middle names that go well with Camille and are also rooted in the French language:

• Amande
• Audree
• Belle
• Denise
• Desiree
• Fleur
• Francoise
• Giselle
• Jacqueline
• Lucie
• Marie
• Nico
• Nicolette
• Reine
• Violette
• Yvonne

Sibling Names for Camille

If you are looking to find a sibling name or two that might pair well with Camille, we have gathered some of the best options here:

• Ava
• Chapin
• Delaine
• Demi
• Ellie
• Evelyn
• Julienne
• Juneau
• Lafayette
• Monet
• Noel
• Oliver
• Quincy
• Remi
• Sidney
• Sophia
• Zoe

Famous People Named Camille

Many notable people share the name Camille, so we have picked out a few to showcase the famous people with this name.

• Camille van Camp: Belgian painter.
• Camille Coduri: a British actor known for her role in “Doctor Who.”
• Camille Desmoulins: French revolutionary and noted journalist.
• Camille Ford: American television personality, known for the tv show “Food Wars.”
• Camille Guérin: French scientist who helped develop the vaccine for tuberculosis.
• Camille Keaton: American actress, known for her role in the 1978 film “I Spit On Your Grave.”
• Camille Rowe: French actress and model.
• Camille Saint-Saëns: French composer and performer.

Camille in Popular Culture

Camille has been used many times in popular culture, including in everything from classic works to modern entertainment.

• “Camille”: title of a 1936 film based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas.
• Camille: a playable character in the online video game “League of Legends.”
• Camille Bordey: a character in the BBC series “Death in Paradise.”
• Camille Leon: a character from the tv show “Kim Possible.”
• Camille Montes: the main “Bond girl” in the 2008 James Bond movie “Quantum of Solace.”
• Camille O’Connell: a character in the tv show “The Originals.”
• Camille Preaker: the main character in the novel “Sharp Objects.”
• Camille Saroyan: a character from the tv series “Bones.”

Camille FAQs