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

Churchill, 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 Churchill surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Churchill in America

Churchill is the 2930th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Churchill surname appeared 12,235 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Churchill.

We can also compare 2010 data for Churchill 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 Churchill

The surname Churchill originated in England and dates back to the 11th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "ceorla" and "hyll," meaning "the hill belonging to the freeman or peasant." The name is associated with several places in England, including Churchill in Somerset and Churchill in Oxfordshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Chevresel" and refers to a place in Somerset. Other early spellings include "Cheritone" (1199) and "Churichull" (1227), reflecting the evolution of the name over time.

Notable individuals with the surname Churchill include:

1. Roger de Churchull (born around 1150), an English landowner mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1176.
2. John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (1650-1722), a renowned English military leader and statesman, best known for his victories in the War of the Spanish Succession.
3. Winston Churchill (1874-1965), the famous British statesman, Prime Minister, and Nobel Prize laureate, who led Britain during World War II.
4. Charles Churchill (1732-1764), an English poet and satirist known for his biting criticism of contemporary figures and events.
5. Jennie Churchill (1854-1921), the American-born mother of Winston Churchill and a prominent socialite in her own right.

The name Churchill has also been associated with several place names, such as Churchill in Somerset, which was recorded as "Ceorlcyll" in the 10th century, and Churchill in Oxfordshire, mentioned as "Cercelle" in the Domesday Book.

Throughout history, the surname Churchill has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, military leaders, politicians, writers, and socialites, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who carried this historic name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Churchill

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

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

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

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