Cameron

This famous and ancient Scottish surname has two origins; firstly, as a Highland clan name it represents a nickname from the Gaelic "cam" meaning crooked, bent, plus "sron", nose. Secondly, in the Lowlands it is normally a locational name from any of the various places so called, all of which show early forms such as "Cambrun", and are named from the Gaelic "cam" plus "brun", hill. The surname dates back to the early 13th Century (see below), and early recordings include: Hugh Cambrun (1219), sheriff of Forfare, and Johannes Cambron (1233), a witness in Moray. Church Records include the christenings of John, son of John and Helen Cameron, on September 5th 1628 in Edinburgh, and Robert, son of James and Anna Cameron, on February 25th 1666 in Edinburgh. Walter Cameron married Hannah Blake on December 6th 1725 at St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster. A Coat of Arms granted to a Cameron family is silver, three red bars within a blue border engrailed. The Crest is a dexter hand grasping a sword proper. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Adam de Kamerun, which was dated 1214, witnessed a charter by David de Hayu to the monks of Cupar, during the reign of King Alexander 11 of Scotland, 1214 - 1249. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.