NameCensus.

UK surname

Champion

A nickname for a skilled fighter or a metonymic occupational name for an athlete or swordsman.

In the 1881 census there were 3,108 people recorded with the Champion surname, ranking it #1,447 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,081, ranked #1,662, down from #1,447 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Breage. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Champion is 4,218 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.3%.

1881 census count

3,108

Ranked #1,447

Modern count

4,081

2016, ranked #1,662

Peak year

1999

4,218 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Champion had 3,108 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,447 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,081 in 2016, ranked #1,662.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,077 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Champion surname distribution map

The map shows where the Champion surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Champion surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Champion over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2,236 #1,313
1861 historical 2,211 #1,331
1881 historical 3,108 #1,447
1891 historical 3,131 #1,509
1901 historical 3,689 #1,522
1911 historical 4,077 #1,257
1997 modern 4,004 #1,616
1998 modern 4,212 #1,602
1999 modern 4,218 #1,614
2000 modern 4,203 #1,603
2001 modern 4,103 #1,604
2002 modern 4,207 #1,592
2003 modern 4,085 #1,610
2004 modern 4,103 #1,601
2005 modern 4,018 #1,618
2006 modern 3,990 #1,627
2007 modern 4,021 #1,637
2008 modern 4,010 #1,650
2009 modern 4,133 #1,643
2010 modern 4,176 #1,663
2011 modern 4,075 #1,678
2012 modern 4,023 #1,670
2013 modern 4,138 #1,652
2014 modern 4,148 #1,658
2015 modern 4,081 #1,673
2016 modern 4,081 #1,662

Geography

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Where Champions are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Breage and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall and Scarborough. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Breage Cornwall
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 016 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 059 Cornwall
3 Scarborough 002 Scarborough
4 Cornwall 028 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 009 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Champion

These lists show first names that appear often with the Champion surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Champion

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Champion, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Champion surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Champion household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Champion is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Champion is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Champion falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Champion is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Champion, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Champion

The surname Champion originated in France during the Middle Ages. It derived from the Old French word "champion," meaning a brave warrior or knight who fought in tournaments or battles. The name was likely first given as a nickname to someone who excelled in combat or displayed exceptional courage and skill on the battlefield.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Champion can be found in medieval French records and documents from the 12th and 13th centuries. One notable example is the mention of a knight named Raoul Champion in the "Livre des Conquestes et des Faicts des Normands" (Book of the Conquests and Deeds of the Normans), written in the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Champion surname was particularly prevalent in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany. This is likely due to the region's rich history of knighthood and military prowess, as well as the influence of the Norman conquest of England in 1066, which led to the establishment of a Norman aristocracy in Britain.

Over time, the surname spread across Europe and beyond, carried by individuals and families migrating to new lands. In England, the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with records showing individuals named Champion residing in various counties, such as Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire.

One notable figure bearing the Champion surname was Sir John Champion (c. 1569-1643), an English nobleman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire during the reign of King James I. Another prominent individual was René Champion (1534-1568), a French Huguenot minister and theologian who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in France.

Other historical figures with the surname Champion include Jean-Baptiste Champion de Villeneuve (1737-1809), a French naval officer and admiral who participated in several major battles during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and George Champion (1851-1927), a British botanist and naturalist best known for his work on the flora of Central America.

The Champion surname has also been associated with various place names, such as the village of Champigny in France, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in certain regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Champion families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Champion surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 499 Champions recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.63x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 499 1.63x
Cornwall 363 10.49x
Surrey 362 2.43x
Kent 281 2.69x
Somerset 213 4.33x
Gloucestershire 165 2.75x
Yorkshire 157 0.52x
Sussex 146 2.83x
Devon 118 1.85x
Berkshire 104 4.53x
Lancashire 99 0.27x
Hampshire 79 1.26x
Essex 59 0.98x
Wiltshire 58 2.15x
Oxfordshire 49 2.60x
Lincolnshire 48 0.98x
Derbyshire 36 0.75x
Glamorgan 34 0.64x
Nottinghamshire 33 0.80x
Cheshire 26 0.39x
Staffordshire 23 0.22x
Dorset 20 1.00x
Durham 20 0.22x
Channel Islands 18 1.99x
Warwickshire 15 0.19x
Bedfordshire 14 0.88x
Monmouthshire 14 0.63x
Leicestershire 11 0.32x
Cumberland 7 0.27x
Cambridgeshire 6 0.31x
Norfolk 6 0.13x
Northumberland 6 0.13x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.27x
Hertfordshire 5 0.24x
Lanarkshire 5 0.05x
Royal Navy 5 1.37x
Suffolk 5 0.13x
Flintshire 4 0.49x
Northamptonshire 3 0.10x
Shropshire 3 0.11x
Worcestershire 3 0.08x
Isle of Man 2 0.35x
Midlothian 2 0.05x
Herefordshire 1 0.08x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.10x
Rutland 1 0.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 59 Champions recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.02x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 59 3.02x
Lambeth 51 1.91x
Islington London 42 1.42x
St Marylebone London 40 2.45x
Breage 38 120.29x
St Pancras London 38 1.54x
Battersea 37 3.29x
Bideford 37 54.28x
West Ham 35 2.63x
St George Hanover Square 34 6.31x
Reading St Mary 31 16.87x
Kensington London 30 1.77x
Newington 25 2.21x
Camborne 23 16.13x
Woolwich 22 5.71x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 21 3.72x
Tottenham 21 4.31x
Ashford 20 19.69x
Kingston On Thames 20 5.59x
Hampstead London 19 3.99x
St Keverne 19 99.69x
St Merryn 19 333.33x
Stoke St Gregory 19 127.18x
Hornsey 18 4.66x
Shoreditch London 18 1.36x
Alverstoke 17 7.49x
Bromley London 17 2.53x
Glastonbury 17 42.33x
St Clement Danes London 17 26.87x
St Neot 17 124.63x
Stelling 17 553.75x
Brighton 16 1.54x
Hackney London 16 0.93x
Phillack 16 35.82x
Westbury 16 25.36x
Witley 16 152.53x
Crowan 15 54.70x
Dorking 15 15.00x
Lewisham 15 2.70x
Madron Penzance 15 11.92x
Paddington London 15 1.33x
St Ives 15 22.15x
Bensington 14 116.18x
Crondall 14 41.59x
Horsham 14 13.98x
Kenwyn 14 15.47x
Limehouse London 14 4.17x
Ludgvan 14 50.74x
Babworth 13 169.93x
Calstock 13 19.15x
Ecclesall Bierlow 13 2.11x
Frampton 13 294.78x
Illogan 13 14.19x
Sittingbourne 13 15.78x
St Austell 13 10.99x
Sutton 13 12.06x
Wendron 13 27.06x
Westminster St John 13 3.49x
Falmouth 12 9.80x
Newnham 12 318.30x
Sheffield 12 1.24x
Twerton 12 23.65x
Westbury On Trym 12 5.91x
Westminster St Margaret 12 8.14x
Ashburnham 11 135.80x
Birkenhead 11 2.04x
Caversham 11 29.12x
Chatham 11 3.83x
Dursley 11 44.61x
East Pennard 11 172.41x
Sithney 11 31.46x
St Giles In Fields London 11 7.33x
Toxteth Park 11 0.90x
Ealing 10 3.66x
Egloshayle 10 61.61x
Great Bedwin 10 52.08x
Lenham 10 48.05x
Oxspring 10 272.48x
Reigate Borough 10 29.10x
St John Near Swansea 10 15.19x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Champion surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 219
Elizabeth 107
Sarah 88
Ellen 65
Jane 62
Ann 58
Alice 53
Annie 53
Eliza 45
Emma 40
Emily 39
Edith 32
Louisa 32
Florence 28
Hannah 28
Charlotte 26
Martha 26
Caroline 25
Kate 23
Fanny 22
Maria 22
Ada 20
Catherine 19
Margaret 19
Harriet 18
Susan 18
Lucy 17
Frances 14
Rose 13
Clara 12
Amelia 11
Anne 11
Minnie 11
Harriett 10
Julia 10
Matilda 10
Elizth. 9
Ethel 9
Rebecca 9
Bessie 8
Rosa 8
Esther 7
Selina 7
Grace 6
Laura 6
Agnes 5
Beatrice 5
Gertrude 5
Henrietta 5
Jessie 5

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Champion surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 211
John 153
George 104
James 86
Thomas 84
Charles 81
Henry 79
Alfred 53
Edward 40
Arthur 33
Frederick 33
Joseph 33
Walter 32
Robert 29
Albert 28
Richard 22
Edwin 17
Frank 16
Ernest 13
Francis 13
Samuel 13
David 9
Harry 9
Herbert 8
Wm. 8
Stephen 7
Geo. 6
Isaac 6
Andrew 4
Chas. 4
Edgar 4
Fred 4
Fredk. 4
Jesse 4
Martin 4
Percy 4
Peter 4
Reginald 4
Sidney 4
Thos. 4
Tom 4
Benjamin 3
Earnest 3
Fredrick 3
Jas. 3
Jonathan 3
Moses 3
Oliver 3
Robt. 3
Sampson 3

FAQ

Champion surname: questions and answers

How common was the Champion surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,108 people were recorded with the Champion surname. That placed it at #1,447 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Champion surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,081 in 2016. That gives Champion a modern rank of #1,662.

What does the Champion surname mean?

A nickname for a skilled fighter or a metonymic occupational name for an athlete or swordsman.

What does the Champion map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Champion bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.