Archibald

Scottish from German

"truly brave"

Archibald Origin and Meaning

The name Archibald is a boy's name of Spanish origin meaning "truly brave".

The short form Archie is so open and friendly --and very trendy in the British Isles--that some parents are now beginning to consider the formerly fusty Archibald as well. SNL comedians Amy Poehler and Will Arnett are one couple who made this breakthrough choice.

After being introduced to England in the twelfth century, Archibald became especially popular in Scotland, where it was in the Top 20 until the 1930s, but later took on a stuffy, aristocratic air. In the US, Archibald ranked as high as Number 279 in 1889.

A notable literary namesake is poet Archibald MacLeish, and Archibald was the full name of both comic-book star Archie Andrews and curmudgeon Archie Bunker. And of course suave Cary Grant was born Archibald Alexander Leach.

Archibald Rank in US Top 1000

# 836 in the US

Archibald Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 542 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Archibald

• 542 Nameberry 2025
• 174 Unique 2024
• 466 England 2023

20 Names Similar to Archibald

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Archibald.

• Clarence
• Leopold
• Edmond
• Barnabas
• Friedrich
• Cecil
• Oswald
• Laurence
• Claude
• Gilbert
• Wilfred
• Clement
• Bertram
• Bartholomew
• Ferdinand
• Augustine
• Humphrey
• Bernard
• Fergus
• Edgar

Famous People Named Archibald

• Archibald Primrose 5th Earl of Rosebery, 19th century British Prime Minister
• Archibald Wavell 1st Earl Wavell, British Viceroy and Governor,General of India
• Archibald MacLeish American poet
• Archibald Campbell 1st Marquess of Argyll, 17th century Scottish leader
• Archibald Sinclair 1st Viscount Thurso, former leader of the British Liberal Party
• Archibald Douglas 6th Earl of Angus, courtier of King James V of Britain
• Archibald Tait former Archbishop of Canterbury
• Archibald Hill Nobel Prize,winning English physiologist
• Archibald Constable Scottish publisher
• Archibald Alexander Leach birth name of English,American actor Cary Grant
• Archibald Marshall Bell American actor
• Archibald Campbell "Archie" MacLaren English cricketer
• Archibald Butt American political aide to President Taft, died in Titanic disaster
• (Archibald) Marshall Bell American actor
• Archibald William Emerson Arnett son of actors Will Arnett and Amy Poehler
• Archibald Lampman Canadian romantic poet
• Col. Archibald Gracie IV American soldier, writer, and survivor of the Titanic disaster

The name Archibald in Pop Culture

• Archibald "Archie" Andrews from the Archie comics and the TV show Riverdale
• Archibald Beemis character in the Samantha Parkington American Girl series
• Archibald Simpson character on TV's "Degrassi"
• Archibald "Archie" Campbell character in Louisa May Alcott's "Rose in Bloom"
• Archibald "Moonlight" Graham character from the movie "Field of Dreams"
• Archibald "Archie" Forbes character in G. A. Henty's, In Freedom's Cause
• Nate Archibald character in the Gossip Girl series

International Variations of the name Archibald

• Archibald Spanish
• Arhambault French