2000
#6,580
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,750
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.76
Uncommon Last name
Child
A surname derived from the Old English word "cild," meaning a youth of noble birth or a young lord.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,090 Americans carry the last name Child. That puts it at #2,673 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,714 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Child 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 Child with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 22,714
Census rank
#2,673
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,159 bearers of the surname Child in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2673rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Child, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.4%) and Black (15.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Child
Among Census respondents with the surname Child, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.4%) and Black (15.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Child 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 Child surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.0% · 7,758
- Hispanic or Latino18.4% · 2,423
- Black or African American15.3% · 2,007
- Two or more races3.3% · 440
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.2% · 415
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 116
Timeline
Historical Census data for Child
Child 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
#6,483
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,237
+487 bearers (+10.3%)
Per 100,000 1.78
Rank movement Up 97 places
2020
#2,673
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,159
+7,922 bearers (+151.3%)
Per 100,000 4.40
Rank movement Up 3,810 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,580 | 4,750 | 1.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,483 | 5,237 | 1.78 | +487 bearers (+10.3%) | Up 97 places |
| 2020 | #2,673 | 13,159 | 4.40 | +7,922 bearers (+151.3%) | Up 3,810 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 Child 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 | #6,483 | #2,673 | 58.8% |
| Count | 5,237 | 13,159 | 151.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.78 | 4.40 | 147.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Child bearers went from 5,237 to 13,159 (+151.3% change). The surname moved up 3,810 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,483 to #2,673.
FAQ
Child surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Child?
Name Census estimates that about 15,090 living Americans carry the surname Child. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,714 residents.
How common is Child?
Child ranks #2,673 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,159 people with the surname Child. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,090), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Child.
Has Child become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Child went from 5,237 recorded bearers to 13,159. That is an increase of 7,922 (+151.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,483 to #2,673.
What does the Census say about the background of Child?
Among Census respondents with the surname Child, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (18.4%) and Black (15.3%). 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 Child in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.0% (7,758 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Child appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.0%), Hispanic (18.4%), Black (15.3%). 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 Child (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 Child mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word "cild," meaning a youth of noble birth or a young lord. 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 Child (4.40 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 Americans have the surname Child?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.