Find out how popular the last name Champion is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Champion.

Champion, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Champion surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Champion in America

Champion is the 2058th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Champion surname appeared 17,527 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Champion.

We can also compare 2010 data for Champion to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Champion

The surname Champion originated in France during the Middle Ages. It derived from the Old French word "champion," meaning a brave warrior or knight who fought in tournaments or battles. The name was likely first given as a nickname to someone who excelled in combat or displayed exceptional courage and skill on the battlefield.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Champion can be found in medieval French records and documents from the 12th and 13th centuries. One notable example is the mention of a knight named Raoul Champion in the "Livre des Conquestes et des Faicts des Normands" (Book of the Conquests and Deeds of the Normans), written in the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Champion surname was particularly prevalent in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany. This is likely due to the region's rich history of knighthood and military prowess, as well as the influence of the Norman conquest of England in 1066, which led to the establishment of a Norman aristocracy in Britain.

Over time, the surname spread across Europe and beyond, carried by individuals and families migrating to new lands. In England, the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with records showing individuals named Champion residing in various counties, such as Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire.

One notable figure bearing the Champion surname was Sir John Champion (c. 1569-1643), an English nobleman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire during the reign of King James I. Another prominent individual was René Champion (1534-1568), a French Huguenot minister and theologian who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in France.

Other historical figures with the surname Champion include Jean-Baptiste Champion de Villeneuve (1737-1809), a French naval officer and admiral who participated in several major battles during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and George Champion (1851-1927), a British botanist and naturalist best known for his work on the flora of Central America.

The Champion surname has also been associated with various place names, such as the village of Champigny in France, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in certain regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Champion

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Champion.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Champion was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Champion has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Champion was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Champion, please contact us.

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