2000
#6,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,204
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.93
Rare Last name
Christmas
An English surname derived from the Middle English phrase "Cristesmæsse," referring to someone born on or associated with Christmas Day.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,485 Americans carry the last name Christmas. That puts it at #5,878 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 52,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Christmas 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 Christmas with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.5K
1 in 52,853
Census rank
#5,878
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,655 bearers of the surname Christmas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5878th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Christmas, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.8%. The next largest groups are Black (38.7%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Christmas
The surname Christmas is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "Cristes maesse," which translates to "Christ's mass" or "the mass of Christ," referring to the Christian celebration of Christmas. The name was likely adopted by families who lived near churches or places of worship dedicated to the birth of Christ.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Christmas can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Willelmus Cristemesse residing in the county of Norfolk.
In the 13th century, records show a John de Cristemasse living in the village of Brinton, Somerset. The use of the preposition "de" before the surname suggests that he may have been from a place called Cristemasse or associated with the Christmas celebration in some way.
During the 14th century, the surname Christmas appears in various spellings, such as Crystmasse, Cristemas, and Cristemassi, reflecting the evolution of the English language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.
Among notable historical figures with the surname Christmas is Sir Thomas Christmas (1539-1617), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Oxfordshire. He served as the Sheriff of Oxfordshire in 1593 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1603.
Another prominent individual was George Christmas (1566-1643), a Protestant clergyman who served as the Dean of Windsor from 1617 until his death. He was known for his scholarly works and sermons during the reign of King James I.
In the 18th century, William Christmas (1719-1779) was a renowned English clockmaker and watchmaker based in London. His timepieces were highly prized for their craftsmanship and accuracy, and he is regarded as one of the finest horologists of his era.
The surname Christmas also found its way to the American colonies, with records showing a Thomas Christmas (1650-1718) as one of the earliest settlers in Virginia. He established a plantation in Middlesex County and served as a member of the House of Burgesses, the legislative assembly of the Virginia Colony.
Another notable figure was Brigadier General Fleming Christmas (1787-1865), a United States Army officer who served in the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War. He was commended for his bravery and leadership during various military campaigns and battles.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Christmas
Among Census respondents with the surname Christmas, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.8%. The next largest groups are Black (38.7%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Christmas 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 Christmas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.8% · 2,870
- Black or African American38.7% · 2,191
- Two or more races5.0% · 284
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 235
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Christmas
Christmas 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
#6,122
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,599
+395 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.90
Rank movement Down 40 places
2020
#5,878
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,655
+56 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 1.89
Rank movement Up 244 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,082 | 5,204 | 1.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,122 | 5,599 | 1.90 | +395 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 40 places |
| 2020 | #5,878 | 5,655 | 1.89 | +56 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 244 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 Christmas 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 | #6,122 | #5,878 | 4.0% |
| Count | 5,599 | 5,655 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.90 | 1.89 | -0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Christmas bearers went from 5,599 to 5,655 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 244 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,122 to #5,878.
FAQ
Christmas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Christmas?
Name Census estimates that about 6,485 living Americans carry the surname Christmas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 52,853 residents.
How common is Christmas?
Christmas ranks #5,878 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,655 people with the surname Christmas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,485), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Christmas.
Has Christmas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Christmas went from 5,599 recorded bearers to 5,655. That is an increase of 56 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,122 to #5,878.
What does the Census say about the background of Christmas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Christmas, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.8%. The next largest groups are Black (38.7%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Christmas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.8% (2,870 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Christmas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.8%), Black (38.7%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Christmas (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 Christmas mean?
An English surname derived from the Middle English phrase "Cristesmæsse," referring to someone born on or associated with Christmas Day. 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 Christmas (1.89 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 people have the surname Christmas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.