A common surname, and one of the most notable of the clans. The Clan Chief is the Duke of Argyll and, particularly during the time of the Jacobite Rebellions, successive Dukes supported the King and government and therefore this clan did not suffer the persecution of others, ensuring the development of sizeable estates. They supported King Robert I (the Bruce), opposed the MacDonald Lord of the Isles, a feud which continued over many centuries, and supported the succession of William of Orange. The clan includes the Earls of Breadalbane and the Earls of Cawdor, in addition to the Earls, then Dukes, of Argyll.
Other notable family members include Major General Sir Archibald Campbell (1769 - 1843), Field Marshall Sir Colin Campbell (Lord Clyde; 1792 - 1863), Glasgow-based philanthropist William Campbell (1793 - 1864), Prime Minister Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman (1836 - 1908), folklorist John Lorne Campbell (1906-96), linguist George Law Campbell (1912 - 2004), artist Steven Campbell (1953 - 2007) and media personality Nicky Campbell (b.1962).