UK girl's name
Cameo
A gemstone etching showing relief images and portraits.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2001. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Cameo is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Cameo popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2001 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3998, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 4 births.
This profile covers 10 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 1996 to 2001. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 10 living people in the UK are called Cameo. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2002 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Cameo ranked #3998 for girls in England and Wales in 2001, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 4 girls were registered as Cameo.
- • About 10 living people in the UK are estimated to have Cameo as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3998
2001
Births in 2001
3
Latest year
Peak year
1997
4 births
Estimated living
10
2026
Meaning
What does Cameo mean?
The name Cameo finds its origins in the Latin word "camaeus," which refers to a gem carved in relief. The name gained popularity during the Renaissance period in Italy, particularly among artists and aristocrats who appreciated the beauty and craftsmanship of carved cameo jewelry.
The earliest recorded use of Cameo as a given name dates back to the 16th century in Italy. One of the earliest notable figures with this name was Cameo Arrighi, an Italian calligrapher and type designer who lived from around 1475 to 1527. His work significantly influenced the development of italic script and typeface design.
Another historical figure with the name Cameo was Cameo Gabbrielli, an Italian painter who lived from 1554 to 1627. He is known for his religious paintings and frescoes, which can be found in various churches throughout Italy.
In the 18th century, the name Cameo gained popularity in France. One notable bearer of this name was Cameo de La Tour, a French painter and pastellist who lived from 1704 to 1788. She was renowned for her portraits and was elected to the prestigious Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in 1746.
The name Cameo also has roots in ancient Greek mythology. In Greek legend, there was a figure named Cameo, who was a nymph associated with the island of Rhodes. She was said to be the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, and her name was sometimes used as a poetic reference to the beautiful island.
Another notable figure with the name Cameo was Cameo Golgi, an Italian physician and scientist who lived from 1843 to 1926. He is best known for his pioneering work in cytology and the discovery of the Golgi apparatus, an organelle found in most eukaryotic cells. Golgi received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1906 for his contributions to the field of cell biology.
Throughout history, the name Cameo has been associated with beauty, art, and craftsmanship, reflecting its origins in the exquisite carved cameo gems of the Renaissance period. While not as common as some other names, it has left its mark on various cultural and scientific fields, carried by individuals who made significant contributions in their respective domains.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Cameo over time
The chart below shows babies named Cameo registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2001. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Cameo, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2001, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cameo by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Cameo was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | #3998 | 3 | 1 |
| 1990s | #3485 | 7 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Cameo
- Chloe 111,265
- Charlotte 88,733
- Caitlin 28,931
- Courtney 23,162
- Chelsea 13,049
- Clara 9,435
- Connie 8,402
- Catherine 8,376
- Charlie 7,964
- Cerys 7,506
- Casey 7,018
- Cara 6,375
FAQ
Cameo: questions and answers
How popular is the name Cameo in the UK right now?
In 2001, Cameo was ranked #3998 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Cameo most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 4 babies registered as Cameo in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Cameo?
A gemstone etching showing relief images and portraits.
How many people are called Cameo in the UK?
A total of 10 babies have been registered as Cameo across the 3 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.