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

Childers, 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 Childers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Childers in America

Childers is the 1150th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Childers surname appeared 30,570 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 10 people would have the surname Childers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Childers 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 Childers

The surname CHILDERS originated from the Old English word "cild" or "child", which referred to a young person or servant. The name first emerged in England during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.

The earliest recorded instances of the CHILDERS surname can be traced back to various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Derbyshire. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name were likely servants or individuals employed in households or estates.

One of the earliest documented references to the CHILDERS surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1195, which mention a person named Richard Childers. Another early record is from the Hundredorum Rolls of Norfolk in 1273, which lists a HugoChildres.

Over time, the surname CHILDERS evolved from various spellings, including Childres, Childers, Chyldres, and Chyldirs. These variations often reflected regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

In the 14th century, the CHILDERS surname appeared in several historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, which listed a William Childres, and the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1332, which mentioned a John Childres.

One notable bearer of the CHILDERS surname was Robert Childers (c. 1455-1521), an English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. He served as an alderman and sheriff of the city during the reign of King Henry VIII.

Another prominent individual was Hugh Childers (1827-1896), a British statesman and Liberal Party politician. He served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer under Prime Minister William Gladstone and played a significant role in the reform of the British civil service.

In the literary world, Erskine Childers (1870-1922) was an Irish writer and politician best known for his influential novel, "The Riddle of the Sands," which is considered a pioneering work in the spy fiction genre.

Robert Erskine Childers (1905-1973), the son of Erskine Childers, was also a prominent figure. He was an Irish writer, revolutionary, and politician who served as the fourth President of Ireland from 1973 until his death later that year.

Another notable bearer of the CHILDERS surname was Ewan Childers (1914-1975), a Scottish actor and director who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout his career, including the BBC's "Doctor Who" series.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Childers

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

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

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

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