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

Child, 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 Child surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Child in America

Child is the 6483rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Child surname appeared 5,237 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Child.

We can also compare 2010 data for Child 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 Child

The surname Child originated in England and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cild," meaning "child" or "young person." It likely emerged as a descriptive nickname or occupational name, referring to someone who was employed to care for children or had a youthful appearance.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1199, which mentions a Robert le Child. The use of the Norman French prefix "le" before the surname suggests that it was already an established name by that time.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Childe, Chyld, and Chylde, reflecting the different spellings and regional dialects of the time. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 include entries for individuals named Reginald le Childe and Thomas le Childe.

The name Child was also present in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, indicating its widespread use across different counties in medieval England.

Notable individuals with the surname Child include Sir Francis Child (1642-1713), a banker and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London and Member of Parliament. He was a key figure in the establishment of Child & Co., one of the oldest private banks in England.

Another prominent figure was Sir Josiah Child (1630-1699), a writer, economist, and Governor of the East India Company. His works, such as "A New Discourse of Trade" and "Brief Observations concerning Trade and Interest of Money," significantly influenced economic thought in the 17th century.

In the 18th century, Samuel Child (1715-1784) was a renowned architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings, including the Church of St. George in Hanover Square, London.

William Child (1650-1697), known as the "Father of the Royal Portsmouth Dockyard," was a naval officer and shipbuilder who played a crucial role in the development of the Royal Navy's shipbuilding facilities.

Moving into the 19th century, Francis Child (1788-1863) was a British banker and philanthropist who co-founded the renowned firm Child & Co. Bankers, which continues to operate today as a private bank in London.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Child

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

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

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

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