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

Childs, 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 Childs surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Childs in America

Childs is the 1242nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Childs surname appeared 28,359 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 Childs.

We can also compare 2010 data for Childs 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 Childs

The surname Childs is an English habitational name derived from a place called Childs Ercall in Shropshire, England. This place name is thought to have originated from the Old English words 'cild' meaning 'child' and 'ert' meaning 'soil' or 'ground', referring to a fertile area suitable for raising children.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Childs dates back to the 13th century in the Hundred Rolls of Shropshire from 1273, where it appears as 'de Childiserhull'. This spelling variation demonstrates the name's connection to the place of origin.

In the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings across England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the name Childs. However, the village of Childs Ercall is mentioned under its older spelling, 'Childiserhull'.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Childs, who was born around 1470 in Woodborough, Nottinghamshire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a magistrate in the region.

Another notable individual with the surname Childs was Sir Francis Childs (1607-1685), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London from 1670 to 1671. He was instrumental in rebuilding parts of the city after the Great Fire of London in 1666.

In the 16th century, the name Childs appeared in various records across England, including the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1523, where it was spelled as 'Chylde'.

A famous literary figure who bore the surname Childs was Mary Childs (1822-1899), an English novelist and poet. She published several works, including "The Bentons: A Story of Today" and "The Courtier: A Novel of the Time of Charles II".

Another notable bearer of the name was Ebenezer Lane Childs (1786-1856), an American politician and lawyer from Massachusetts. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1823 to 1825.

The surname Childs has also been associated with various place names across England, such as Childs Wickham in Gloucestershire and Childs Ercall in Shropshire, further highlighting its habitational origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Childs

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

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

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

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