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

Champlain, 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 Champlain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Champlain in America

Champlain is the 36838th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Champlain surname appeared 606 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Champlain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Champlain 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 Champlain

The surname Champlain is of French origin, with its roots traceable to the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It is believed to have originated from the French word "champ," meaning field or plain, and the suffix "-lain," which denotes a person or place associated with a particular location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the writings of Samuel de Champlain, a French explorer and cartographer who played a pivotal role in establishing the French colony of Acadia and the city of Quebec. Born in Brouage, France, in 1567, Champlain is regarded as a key figure in the exploration and settlement of the New World.

The name Champlain also appears in various historical documents, such as land records and parish registers, particularly in regions like Normandy and Brittany, where it was more prevalent. It is possible that the name derived from specific place names or locations within these regions, though the exact origins remain uncertain.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Champlain surname was François Champlain, a French priest and missionary who worked among the Native American tribes in Canada. He was born in France in the early 1600s and spent several years in the New World, contributing to the spread of Christianity and the establishment of missions.

Another historical figure with the Champlain surname was Jean-Baptiste Champlain, a French-Canadian explorer and fur trader who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was known for his expeditions in the Great Lakes region and his interactions with various Native American tribes.

In the 19th century, Louis Champlain, born in 1823 in Quebec, Canada, was a prominent businessman and landowner. He played a significant role in the development of the lumber industry in the region and was also involved in local politics.

Throughout its history, the surname Champlain has been associated with various professions, including explorers, missionaries, traders, and entrepreneurs. While its origins can be traced back to France, the name has since spread across different parts of the world, particularly in regions with a strong French-Canadian influence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Champlain

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

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 Champlain 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 Champlain 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 Champlain was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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