2000
#8,696
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,479
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.29
Rare Last name
Campion
A surname derived from the Old French word "champion," meaning a warrior, fighter, or victor in battle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,962 Americans carry the last name Campion. That puts it at #9,085 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,510 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Campion surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Campion with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 86,510
Census rank
#9,085
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,455 bearers of the surname Campion in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9085th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Campion, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Campion
The surname Campion is of Anglo-French origin, derived from the Old French word "campion", meaning a type of flowering plant commonly found in fields and meadows. It is believed that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone who lived near an area abundant with these wildflowers.
The earliest recorded use of the surname Campion dates back to the late 12th century in England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191, where a person named Robert Campion is mentioned.
During the medieval period, the name Campion was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Herefordshire in the West Midlands region of England. The name was also found in other parts of the country, such as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
In the 13th century, the surname Campion appeared in the Hundredorum Rolls, which were administrative records compiled in England during the reign of King Edward I. One notable entry is that of William Campion, who was listed as a landowner in Worcestershire in 1273.
Edmund Campion (1540-1581) was an English Catholic priest and martyr who played a significant role in the English Reformation. He was executed for his religious beliefs during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Thomas Campion (1567-1620) was an English poet, composer, and physician. He is best known for his contributions to the English lute song tradition and his works, including "A Book of Ayres" and "Observations in the Art of English Poesie".
Abraham Campion (c. 1585-1660) was an English astrologer and physician who published several works on astrology and medicine, including "The Parable of the Husbandman" and "A New and Certain Method of Curing all Sorts of Fevers".
Jacques Campion (1685-1744) was a French artist and engraver who worked primarily in Paris. He is known for his etchings and engravings of landscapes, architectural scenes, and religious subjects.
Thomas Campion (1814-1858) was an English artist and illustrator known for his landscapes and genre paintings. He exhibited his works at the Royal Academy and other prestigious galleries in London.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Campion
Among Census respondents with the surname Campion, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Campion bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Campion surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 3,134
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 161
- Two or more races2.7% · 94
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 38
- Black or African American0.6% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Campion
Campion appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,043
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,614
+135 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Down 347 places
2020
#9,085
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,455
-159 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 42 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,696 | 3,479 | 1.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,043 | 3,614 | 1.23 | +135 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 347 places |
| 2020 | #9,085 | 3,455 | 1.16 | -159 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 42 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Campion surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,043 | #9,085 | -0.5% |
| Count | 3,614 | 3,455 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.23 | 1.16 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Campion bearers went from 3,614 to 3,455 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 42 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,043 to #9,085.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Campion
FAQ
Campion surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Campion?
Name Census estimates that about 3,962 living Americans carry the surname Campion. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,510 residents.
How common is Campion?
Campion ranks #9,085 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,455 people with the surname Campion. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,962), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Campion.
Has Campion become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Campion went from 3,614 recorded bearers to 3,455. That is a decrease of 159 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,043 to #9,085.
What does the Census say about the background of Campion?
Among Census respondents with the surname Campion, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Campion in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (3,134 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Campion appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (4.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Campion (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Campion mean?
A surname derived from the Old French word "champion," meaning a warrior, fighter, or victor in battle. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Campion (1.16 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Campion?
You can see how common the surname Campion is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.