Archibald

Meaning: Precious and strong
Origin: From Germanic via Old French

Nicknames: Archie, Arch

Boy's name · #1145 in the US (2025) · Comeback

Popularity over time

Archibald was #279 in 1890, slipped to #10668 by 2001, and has climbed back to #1145 today. About 4,000 boys have carried it since 1880.

Across the states

See where Archibald is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 17 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Archibald ranks in other countries and regions.

#346 in England & Wales (2025) · #442 in Scotland (2025) · #503 in Belgium (2025) · #539 in France (2025) · #729 in Switzerland (2025) · #1,186 in Canada (2024).

Famous Archibalds

Archibald Hill — English physiologist and biophysicist (1886–1977)
Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery — British Liberal politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1847–1929)
Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell — British Army general and Viceroy of India
Archibald MacLeish — American poet and Librarian of Congress (1892–1982)
Archibald Leitch — British architect (1865–1939)

As a surname

It is also an American family name — about 8,400 people carried it as a surname in the 2010 census.

Nate Archibald — American basketball player (born 1948)
Robert Archibald — Scottish basketball player (1980–2020)
Steve Archibald — Scottish association football player and manager (born 1956)

In stories & tradition

Archibald (Captain Haddock) — The Adventures of Tintin (comics)
Archibald (Archie Andrews) — The Archie Show (TV series)
Archibald Asparagus — VeggieTales (TV series)

What Archibalds become

Among 765 notable people named Archibald:

Military figures appear 5.72× more often than among typical names — e.g. Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell, British Army general and Viceroy of India.

Spellings & nicknames

About 960 boys a year are given Archie as their full name.

Similar names: Archie · Ollie · Archer · Sol · Harlow · Ambrose

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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