Archibald is a masculine given name, composed of the Germanic elements erchan (with an original meaning of "genuine" or "precious") and bald "bold".
Medieval forms include Old High German Erchambald, Erkanbold, Erkanbald and Anglo-Saxon Eorcenbald. Erkanbald, bishop of Strasbourg (d. 991) was also rendered Archaunbault in Old French. The Anglo-Saxon name did not survive, and the modern given name in English derives from the introduction of the Old French name, with a secondary association of its first element with the Greek prefix archi- meaning "chief, master", to Norman England in the high medieval period.
The form Archibald became particularly popular among Scottish nobility in the later medieval to early modern periods, whence usage as a surname is derived by the 18th century, found especially in Nova Scotia and in Scotland.
English diminutives or hypocorisms include Archibald, Arch, Archy, Archie, Baldie. Variants include French Archambault, Archaimbaud, Archenbaud, Archimbaud, Italian Archimboldo, Arcimbaldo, Arcimboldo, Portuguese Arquibaldo, Arquimbaldo and Spanish Archibaldo. Archibald is used as the anglicization of the (unrelated) Gaelic given name Gille Easbuig (also anglicized as Gillespie).
The given name Archibald was comparatively popular in the United States in the late 19th century, peaking at rank 290 in 1890, but it rapidly fell out of fashion in the early 20th century, falling below rank 1,000 in popularity during the 1920s.
See also: All pages beginning with "Archibald"
Eorcenbald, an 7th-century Anglo-Saxon bishop under Ine of Wessex
Erkanbald, bishop of Strasbourg (d. 991)
Erkanbald, abbot of Fulda (d. 1021)
Archibald I, Lord of Douglas (ca. 1198–1238)
Archibald (d. 1298) Scottish Bishop of Moray
Archibald the Grim, Lord of Galloway and 3rd Earl of Douglas,(1325–1400)
Sir Archibald Douglas (died 1333), Guardian of Scotland. (killed 1333, at the Battle of Halidon Hill)
Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas (1370–1424), duke of Touraine
Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Douglas (1390–1439)
Archibald Douglas, Earl of Moray (1426–1455)
Archibald Douglas, 5th Earl of Angus (1453–1514) "Bell-the-Cat"
In the late medieval and early modern period, the given name Archibald became popular among Scottish aristocracy in particular. See Archibald Campbell (disambiguation), Archibald Douglas (disambiguation), Archibald Hamilton (disambiguation), Archibald Montgomerie (disambiguation), Archibald Napier (disambiguation), Archibald Primrose (disambiguation) for lists of individuals with these names.
Archibald Douglas of Kilspindie (1475–1536)
Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (1490–1557)
Archibald Campbell, 2nd Earl of Argyll (died 1513), Lord Chancellor of Scotland
Archibald Campbell, 4th Earl of Argyll (c. 1507–1558), Scottish nobleman and politician
Archibald Campbell, 5th Earl of Argyll (1532/7–1573), Scottish politician
Sir Archibald Napier (1534–1608), Scottish landowner and official, master of the Scottish mint and Laird of Merchiston
Archibald Douglas, 8th Earl of Angus (1556–1588) (also 5th Earl of Morton)
Archibald Campbell, 7th Earl of Argyll (c. 1575–1638), Scottish politician and military leader
Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll (1607–1661)
Archibald Douglas, 1st Earl of Ormond (1609–1655)
Archibald Primrose, Lord Carrington (1616–1679), Scottish lawyer, judge, and cavalier
Lord Archibald Hamilton (1673–1754), Scottish politician
Archibald Cameron of Locheil (1707–1753), leader in the Jacobite uprising
Archibald Montgomerie, 11th Earl of Eglinton (1726–1796), Scottish general, and Member of Parliament (MP)
Archibald Douglas-Hamilton, 9th Duke of Hamilton (1740–1819), Scottish peer and politician
Archibald McBryde (1766–1816), Scottish born US Congressman
Lord Archibald Hamilton (1769–1827), son of the above, MP for Lanarkshire.
Archibald Murphey (1777–1832), North Carolina politician
Archibald Hamilton (1790–1815), officer in the United States Navy
Archibald McLean (judge) (1791–1865), Upper Canadian judge
John Archibald Campbell (1811–1889), American lawyer
Archibald McLelan (1824–1890), colonial Nova Scotian shipbuilder and politician
Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery (1847–1929) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during 1894/5.
Archibald Grimké (1849–1930), American intellectual, journalist, and diplomat
Archibald Gracie IV (1859–1912), American writer
Archibald Keightley (1859–1930), theosophist
Archibald Lampman (1861–1899), Canadian poet
Archibald Ritchie (British Army officer) (1869–1955), British Army Major-General of World War I
Archibald Boyd-Carpenter (1873–1937), British politician
Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell (1883–1950), commander in the British Army
Archibald Hill (1886–1977), British physiologist
Archibald MacLeish (1892–1982), American modernist writer
Archibald Roosevelt (1894–1979), American soldier
Archibald F. Bennett (1896–1965) LDS genealogist
Archibald Joseph Cronin (1896–1981), Scottish author
Archibald Alexander Leach (1904–1986, stage name Cary Grant), American actor
John Archibald Wheeler (1911–2008), American theoretical physicist
Archibald Cox (1912–2004), U.S. Solicitor General
Archibald Hall (1924–2002), Scottish serial killer
Archibald Gemmill (b. 1947) Scottish Football Player (Hero of Mendoza, Argentina 1978)
Archie Manning (b. 1949), former National Football League player and father of Peyton Manning and Eli Manning
Archie Thompson, (b. 1978), Australian footballer
Archibald (musician), stage name of Leon Gross (1916–1973), American R&B musician
Archibald Peck, 2011 ring name of Robert Evans (wrestler) (b. 1983)
Archibald, a pseudonym of Waldemar Łysiak
Archie Andrews (comics), the namesake character from Archie Comics
Archibald Asparagus, a character from the Christian video series, VeggieTales
Archie Bunker, a character in the sitcom All in the Family
Captain Haddock, a character in Hergé's The Adventures of Tintin.
Archibald the Koala, animated children's television series
Archibald "Archie" Mitchell, a character from the television soap opera EastEnders
Arcimboldo, a DC Comics character
Archie, a character played by Mark Strong in Guy's Ritchie movie Rock'N'Rolla
Archie Wong, a character on Waterloo Road played by Christopher Chung.
Archibald Archibaldovich, pirate and maitre d'hotel Griboyedev, minor comic character in The Master and Margarita
Archibald Witwicky, the character from Transformers who discovered Megatron in his National Arctic Circle Expedition
Arcomboldo or Arcimboldi was used as a surname in Renaissance Italy; see Giovanni Arcimboldi, Giuseppe Arcimboldo.
Archibald is a modern Anglo-Saxon surname. Derived from the given name, it becomes frequent in Nova Scotia by the later 18th century. Early bearers of the name associated with Nova Scotia include:
David Archibald (1717–1795) was born in Derry and came to Londonderry, New Hampshire in 1757. He represented Truro Township in the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia from 1766 to 1770.
Samuel Archibald (1742–1780), son of David Archibald, represented Truro Township in the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia from 1775 to 1777.
Samuel George William Archibald (1777–1846) was born in Truro, Nova Scotia, the son of Samuel Archibald and Rachel Todd. His grandfather David Archibald, an immigrant from Ulster, was one of the founders of Truro, and raised the boy after the death of his father in 1780.
Charles Dickson Archibald (1802–1868); Truro, Nova Scotia-native, businessman, son of Samuel George William Archibald
Sir Edward Mortimer Archibald (1810–1884); Truro, Nova Scotia-native, diplomat, son of Samuel George William Archibald.
Edith Archibald (1854–1936); Nova Scotian suffragist and author; daughter of Sir Edward Mortimer.
Matthew Archibald (1745–1820) was an Irish-born farmer, tanner and political figure in Nova Scotia. He was born in Derry, the son of Samuel Archibald and Elizabeth Taylor, and came with his family to Londonderry, New Hampshire in 1757. The family moved to Nova Scotia five years later.
Matthew Archibald's son Alexander Lackie Archibald (1788–1859) also represented Truro in the assembly.
Thomas Dickson Archibald (1813 – 1890) Onslow, Nova Scotia-native, politician
Adams George Archibald (1814 – 1892); Truro, Nova Scotia-native, politician
Cyril Archibald (1837–1914); South Stormont, Ontario-native, politician
Donald Archibald (1840–1908); Musquodoboit, Nova Scotia-native, politician
Edgar Archibald (1885–1968); Yarmouth, Nova Scotia-native, agricultural scientist
George Archibald (ornithologist) (b. 1946); New Glasgow, Nova Scotia-native, American ornithologist
The surname becomes more widespread in the English-speaking world in general during the 19th century:
Canada
J. F. Archibald (1856–1919); Geelong West, Victoria-native, journalist and publisher
Edward Archibald (athlete); (1884–1965); Canadian pole vaulter
Frank C. Archibald (1887–1972); Harbour Grace, Newfoundland-native, politician
Harry Archibald (1910–1965); Wynot, Saskatchewan-native, politician
Nancy Archibald (1911–1996); Montreal-native, fencer
Joan Archibald (1913–2002); Montreal-native, fencer
Jim Archibald (b. 1961); Craik, Saskatchewan-native, ice hockey player
Dave Archibald (b. 1969); Chilliwack, British Columbia-native, ice hockey player
United States
George D. Archibald (1820– ?); Washington County, Pennsylvania-native, theologian
James Archibald (1912–2006); Houlton, Maine-native, judge
Joey Archibald (1914–1998); Providence, Rhode Island-native, boxer
Lynn Archibald (1944–1997); American college basketball head coach (University of Utah, Idaho State University)
Nate Archibald (b. 1948); South Bronx-native, basketball player
Nolan D. Archibald, retired CEO of Black and Decker
Ben Archibald (b. 1978); American player of gridiron football
Australia
William Archibald (1850–1926), Adelaide politician. Born in St Pancras, London, Archibald was orphaned aged ten, emigrating to New Zealand in 1879 and thence to New South Wales and Victoria in 1881 before arriving in South Australia in 1882.
Jeff Archibald (b. 1952); Auckland-native, field hockey player
United Kingdom
In the United kingdom, Archibald is mostly found as a Scottish surname.
Adam Archibald (1879–1957); Leith-native, Victoria Cross recipient
Jimmy Archibald (1892–1975); Falkirk-native, association footballer
Bobby Archibald (1894–1966); Strathaven, South Lanarkshire-native, association footballer
Sandy Archibald (1897–1946); Aberdour-native, association footballer
George Archibald, 1st Baron Archibald (1898–1975), British politician, son of George W. Archibald, of Glasgow.
George Christopher Archibald (1926–1996); British economist, son of George Archibald, 1st Baron Archibald
Joseph Archibald (d. 2014), Saint Kittitian-born British Virgin Islands lawyer and judge
Steve Archibald (b. 1956); Glasgow-native, association footballer and manager
Adrian Archibald (b. 1969); Ballymoney-native, motorcycle racer
Alan Archibald (b. 1977); Glasgow-native football player
Nicholas Archibald (b. 1975); Scottish cricketer
Robert Archibald (b. 1980); Paisley, Renfrewshire-native, basketball player
Nate Archibald (Gossip Girl), a main character on the TV series Gossip Girl
