The Campbells are Scotland’s largest clan, though historically speaking they remain under something of a cloud for their notorious part in the Glencoe Massacre of the MacDonalds.

The surname Campbell originated as a nickname. The word Campbell comes from the Scots Gaelic ‘caimbeul’, which means ‘wry (or crooked) mouth’. This is much the same as the origin of the name Cameron, which comes from the Scots Gaelic for ‘wry (or crooked) nose’. These nicknames almost certainly referred to an element of character rather than just appearance.

According to the tradition of the Clan Campbell, the Campbells were originally known as ‘Clann Duibhne’ or ‘O’Duine’ and were descended from one Diarmed O’Duine of Lochow. Diarmed, in his turn, was said to be a direct descendant of the great Diarmed, ‘the Fingalean hero who slew the wild boar’. Curiously, the father of this Diarmed was known as Fergus Cerr-beoil or Fergus the Wry-mouth, and it is just possible that the name Campbell originates from this. There is no Gaelic equivalent for the Clan Campbell, it still being referred to as Clann O’Duibhne, after Diarmed O’Duine.

Apart from these meagre facts, origins of the Clan Campbell are lost in mythology. The name appears in many ancient ballads and manuscripts, all of doubtful veracity. In one of these the Campbells are said to be descended from King Arthur, while another maintains that they are descended from Adam, no less.

The earliest mention of a Campbell comes in the Exchange Rolls for 1263, where one Gillespie Campbell is listed. However, even as late as 1447, we find in the manuscript History of Craignish a man called Duncan le Campbell, where the name is used as a mere nickname. (Here the ‘le’ is not French, but denotes that what follows is vernacular. Loosely translated, the word means ‘known as’.) Despite the vague origins of the name Campbell, there is one popular myth which can be dismissed. Contrary to the legend, the Campbells are not of French origin, and the word Campbell is not derived from the Norman French ‘de campobello’ meaning ‘of the beautiful plain’. If this were the case, the earliest listings of the name Campbell would be preceded by a ‘de’, as in the origins of such Norman French names as Beauchamp (now usually Beecham) meaning ‘beautiful field’. There is no mention of any ‘de Campbell’.

Campbell has few variations. The only notable ones are Camble, Camel, and Cammel. The last two forms are also in some cases descended from nicknames. A ‘Camel’ would be a large strong fellow capable of carrying great weights for a long distance, as we see in Shakespeare, who refers to ‘a Dray-man, a Porter, and a very Camell’. There is also an etymological oddity attached to the name Camel. In the north-east of Scotland a pig was often known as a ‘sandy camel’, and this name passed to Holland, where it became ‘kumpel’.

In the great age of world speed records, the Campbell family was the greatest of them all. Sir Malcolm Campbell (1885— 1949) broke the world land-speed record nine times between 1924 and 1935, and later broke the water-speed record 3 times. His son Donald Campbell (1921—67) also broke both land and sea speed records several times and his tragic death while attempting a new water-speed record ended an era.

Britain’s greatest linguist is George Campbell (b.l913). By the time he retired from the BBC Overseas Service he had mastered no fewer than 39 languages, although he admits that there was never a time when he could speak all 39, as he tended to grow rusty in one or two.

The girl nicknamed ‘Highland Mary’, who inspired many of Robbie Burns’ greatest love lyrics, was almost certainly one Mary Campbell. There are now several statues to ‘Highland Mary’ in the Burns country around Greenock and Dunoon.

‘The Campbells are coming’ goes the famous refrain in the song-and one Campbell at least lived up to his name. One Robert Campbell, a fur trader, travelled over 3,000 miles from the Yukon to Montreal on snow shoes-an unparalleled feat. The Campbells can also sing. The queen of Britain’s jazz singers, Cleo Laine (b.1928), the wife of bandleader Johnnie Dankworth, is in fact a Campbell. Her real name is Clementina Campbell.

The United Kingdom has a Campbelltown, a Campbelton and a Campbeltown. No fewer than 5 American states have towns named Campbell; so do Australia, South Africa and New Guinea.

With about 44,000 namesakes, Campbell is Scotland’s 4th most popular surname; thus about one out of every 120 Scots is named Campbell. With over 16,000 Campbells, this is Ireland’s 31st most popular surname. (The name is not common enough throughout England and Wales to be counted separately.) Campbell is notably popular in and around Glasgow where an estimated one in 101 families bears the name, and in Edinburgh (one in 160). Around the world Campbells are most common in Vancouver (one in 372 families), Wellington (one in 434) and Canberra (one in 442). The United States has more Campbells than the entire population of Coventry-an estimated total of just under 379,000 makes this their 41st most popular surname.