NameCensus.

UK surname

Channing

A surname derived from the Old English word "caning", meaning fair or beautiful.

In the 1881 census there were 575 people recorded with the Channing surname, ranking it #6,056 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 945, ranked #6,073, down from #6,056 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841), Chard and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newport, Isle of Wight and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Channing is 975 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 64.3%.

1881 census count

575

Ranked #6,056

Modern count

945

2016, ranked #6,073

Peak year

1998

975 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Channing had 575 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,056 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 945 in 2016, ranked #6,073.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 873 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Channing surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Channing surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Channing 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 392 #6,129
1861 historical 445 #5,811
1881 historical 575 #6,056
1891 historical 687 #5,701
1901 historical 703 #6,266
1911 historical 873 #5,094
1997 modern 954 #5,699
1998 modern 975 #5,797
1999 modern 968 #5,861
2000 modern 967 #5,848
2001 modern 936 #5,883
2002 modern 965 #5,842
2003 modern 942 #5,867
2004 modern 927 #5,940
2005 modern 923 #5,905
2006 modern 911 #5,977
2007 modern 913 #6,026
2008 modern 916 #6,058
2009 modern 931 #6,082
2010 modern 972 #6,006
2011 modern 947 #6,084
2012 modern 915 #6,168
2013 modern 956 #6,043
2014 modern 967 #6,033
2015 modern 958 #6,024
2016 modern 945 #6,073

Geography

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Where Channings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841), Chard, London parishes and Heavitree. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newport, Isle of Wight and Cornwall. 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 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon
2 Chard Somerset
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Heavitree Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newport 018 Newport
2 Isle of Wight 018 Isle of Wight
3 Newport 010 Newport
4 Newport 015 Newport
5 Cornwall 009 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Channing

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Channing

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Channing, 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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Channing is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Channing is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Channing 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 Channing 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 Channing, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Channing

The surname Channing is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "ceann" meaning "bold" or "brave," suggesting that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone with those characteristics.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1190, where it appears as "Chaunin." This entry refers to a landowner named Richard Chaunin, who held lands in the county at that time.

In the 13th century, the surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire (1273) as "Chanyng." This record suggests that the name was also present in the Oxfordshire area during this period.

The Channing family is believed to have originated from the village of Channing in Somerset, which itself is named after the Channing family who held lands there in the Middle Ages. The earliest reference to this place name is found in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1243, where it is spelled "Chanyngg."

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Channing was Sir John Channing (c. 1400-1475), who served as a member of the English Parliament and was appointed to various judicial positions in Somerset and Devon during the 15th century.

Another prominent figure was William Channing (1610-1668), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Dorset who played a significant role in the English Civil War and supported the Parliamentarian cause.

In the 18th century, the Channing family produced several notable individuals, including William Ellery Channing (1780-1842), a renowned Unitarian preacher and influential thinker in the United States, and his nephew, William Henry Channing (1810-1884), a noted Unitarian minister and author.

The surname Channing has also been associated with places like Channing Street in London, named after William Ellery Channing, and the Channing House Retirement Community in Palo Alto, California, named after the same individual.

Other noteworthy individuals with the surname Channing include Carol Channing (1921-2019), an American actress and singer best known for her roles in Broadway musicals, and her son, Channing Ingram (b. 1946), an American actor and writer.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Channing families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Channing 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. Devon leads with 184 Channings recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.44x.

County Total Index
Devon 184 15.44x
Somerset 144 15.62x
Middlesex 83 1.45x
Kent 23 1.18x
Gloucestershire 22 1.96x
Sussex 18 1.86x
Surrey 17 0.61x
Monmouthshire 16 3.87x
Dorset 13 3.46x
Channel Islands 10 5.89x
Hertfordshire 9 2.28x
Glamorgan 8 0.80x
Staffordshire 7 0.36x
Hampshire 6 0.51x
Derbyshire 4 0.45x
Warwickshire 4 0.28x
Worcestershire 4 0.53x
Lancashire 3 0.04x
Suffolk 3 0.43x
Wiltshire 3 0.59x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.26x
Cornwall 1 0.15x
Isle of Man 1 0.94x
Midlothian 1 0.13x
Oxfordshire 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Exeter Heavitree in Devon leads with 29 Channings recorded in 1881 and an index of 326.21x.

Place Total Index
Exeter Heavitree 29 326.21x
Tiverton 28 136.39x
West Hatch 27 3292.68x
Islington London 22 3.96x
Chard 17 152.33x
Plymouth Charles The 17 32.37x
Stoodleigh 17 1976.74x
St Woollos 15 32.47x
Taunton St Mary 14 82.74x
Sidmouth 13 190.62x
Bridgewater 11 43.96x
Yeovil 11 58.73x
Bow London 10 13.72x
St Helier 10 18.10x
Topsham 10 177.62x
Brighton 9 4.62x
Hitchin 9 50.53x
Clerkenwell London 8 5.92x
Exeter St Sidwell 8 29.30x
Fulham London 8 9.63x
Kingsbury Episcopi 8 267.56x
Kingskerswell 8 404.04x
Bathford 7 370.37x
Deptford St Paul 7 4.65x
Kensington London 7 2.20x
Taunton St James 7 52.08x
Wandsworth 7 12.70x
Hawkhurst 6 98.85x
Hurstpierpoint 6 111.73x
Sowton 6 750.00x
St Andrew Holborn London 6 24.20x
Wrotham 6 92.74x
Bristol St George 5 9.63x
Bristol St Paul In 5 16.71x
Cardiff St Mary 5 9.10x
Chelsea London 5 2.90x
Egham 5 29.19x
North Petherton 5 67.29x
Poughill 5 980.39x
Bedminster 4 4.62x
Beer Crocombe 4 1481.48x
Bourton On Dunsmore 4 689.66x
Curry Mallet 4 421.05x
Fordington 4 49.44x
Handsworth 4 8.40x
Isle Abbotts 4 588.24x
Kingston 4 216.22x
Litchurch 4 11.09x
St Pancras London 4 0.87x
Tarrant Rawston 4 4444.44x
Bermondsey 3 1.76x
Brampford Speke 3 315.79x
Chippenham 3 28.25x
Clifton 3 5.28x
Devonport 3 21.90x
Llandaff 3 9.04x
Paddington London 3 1.42x
Portsea 3 1.30x
Stapleton 3 14.08x
Walsall Foreign 3 3.00x
West Dean 3 16.45x
Wilton 3 125.00x
Witheridge 3 149.25x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 2 1.89x
Ditcheat 2 126.58x
Dudley 2 2.20x
East Stonehouse 2 8.52x
Exeter St David 2 19.65x
Exeter St Leonard 2 61.35x
Exeter St Mary Major 2 27.82x
Exeter St Thomas The 2 16.46x
Hackney London 2 0.62x
Nottingham St Mary 2 1.00x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 2.18x
Shobrooke 2 158.73x
St Marylebone London 2 0.65x
Stoke Canon 2 240.96x
Thulbear 2 1176.47x
Westminster St Margaret 2 7.24x
Weston Super Mare 2 8.59x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 35
Elizabeth 24
Jane 18
Emma 15
Sarah 15
Ellen 10
Alice 9
Eliza 8
Emily 8
Louisa 8
Maria 7
Florence 6
Harriet 6
Edith 4
Margaret 4
Susan 4
Agnes 3
Ann 3
Annie 3
Clara 3
Sophia 3
Blanche 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Elizth. 2
Eva 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Harriett 2
Julia 2
Justina 2
Lucy 2
M. 2
Martha 2
Rhoda 2
Rose 2
Rosina 2
Selena 2
Anne 1
Charlott 1
Eda 1
Ethel 1
Georgeheine 1
Georgina 1
Grace 1
Letta 1
Lillia 1
Lilly 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 48
John 39
George 24
Henry 20
James 19
Thomas 16
Frederick 14
Charles 13
Richard 11
Robert 11
Alfred 7
Arthur 7
Harry 7
Samuel 6
Albert 5
Edward 5
Ernest 5
Joseph 5
Walter 5
Frank 4
Edwin 3
Fred 3
Job 2
Matthew 2
Tom 2
Aurther 1
Auther 1
Caleb 1
Daniel 1
Eli 1
F. 1
Francis 1
Fras. 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Gilbert 1
Henery 1
Herbert 1
Hughgal 1
Infant 1
Mark 1
Oliver 1
Rhoda 1
Saml. 1
Sidney 1
Silas 1
T. 1
W. 1
W.H.G. 1
Wm 1

FAQ

Channing surname: questions and answers

How common was the Channing surname in 1881?

In 1881, 575 people were recorded with the Channing surname. That placed it at #6,056 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Channing surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 945 in 2016. That gives Channing a modern rank of #6,073.

What does the Channing surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English word "caning", meaning fair or beautiful.

What does the Channing map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Channing 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.