NameCensus.

UK surname

Child

A surname derived from the Old English word "cild," meaning a youth of noble birth or a young lord.

In the 1881 census there were 5,087 people recorded with the Child surname, ranking it #874 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,668, ranked #1,856, down from #874 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Bradford and St Mary Islington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rother, Leeds and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Child is 6,078 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 27.9%.

1881 census count

5,087

Ranked #874

Modern count

3,668

2016, ranked #1,856

Peak year

1911

6,078 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Child had 5,087 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #874 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,668 in 2016, ranked #1,856.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,078 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Child surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Child surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Child 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 3,972 #717
1861 historical 3,851 #729
1881 historical 5,087 #874
1891 historical 5,188 #906
1901 historical 5,660 #987
1911 historical 6,078 #848
1997 modern 3,903 #1,667
1998 modern 3,972 #1,703
1999 modern 3,991 #1,709
2000 modern 4,024 #1,682
2001 modern 3,959 #1,675
2002 modern 4,000 #1,692
2003 modern 3,860 #1,720
2004 modern 3,800 #1,748
2005 modern 3,674 #1,781
2006 modern 3,654 #1,788
2007 modern 3,634 #1,808
2008 modern 3,621 #1,829
2009 modern 3,671 #1,850
2010 modern 3,725 #1,867
2011 modern 3,678 #1,867
2012 modern 3,662 #1,839
2013 modern 3,742 #1,836
2014 modern 3,749 #1,845
2015 modern 3,700 #1,846
2016 modern 3,668 #1,856

Geography

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Where Childs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Bradford and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rother, Leeds, Wakefield and Thanet. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rother 003 Rother
2 Leeds 006 Leeds
3 Leeds 039 Leeds
4 Wakefield 022 Wakefield
5 Thanet 016 Thanet

Forenames

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First names often paired with Child

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Child

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Child, 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 Child surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Child 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Child is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Child 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

Child falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Child 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 Child, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Child

The surname Child originated in England and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cild," meaning "child" or "young person." It likely emerged as a descriptive nickname or occupational name, referring to someone who was employed to care for children or had a youthful appearance.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1199, which mentions a Robert le Child. The use of the Norman French prefix "le" before the surname suggests that it was already an established name by that time.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Childe, Chyld, and Chylde, reflecting the different spellings and regional dialects of the time. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 include entries for individuals named Reginald le Childe and Thomas le Childe.

The name Child was also present in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, indicating its widespread use across different counties in medieval England.

Notable individuals with the surname Child include Sir Francis Child (1642-1713), a banker and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London and Member of Parliament. He was a key figure in the establishment of Child & Co., one of the oldest private banks in England.

Another prominent figure was Sir Josiah Child (1630-1699), a writer, economist, and Governor of the East India Company. His works, such as "A New Discourse of Trade" and "Brief Observations concerning Trade and Interest of Money," significantly influenced economic thought in the 17th century.

In the 18th century, Samuel Child (1715-1784) was a renowned architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings, including the Church of St. George in Hanover Square, London.

William Child (1650-1697), known as the "Father of the Royal Portsmouth Dockyard," was a naval officer and shipbuilder who played a crucial role in the development of the Royal Navy's shipbuilding facilities.

Moving into the 19th century, Francis Child (1788-1863) was a British banker and philanthropist who co-founded the renowned firm Child & Co. Bankers, which continues to operate today as a private bank in London.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Child families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Child 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. Yorkshire leads with 1,301 Childs recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.64x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 1,301 2.64x
Middlesex 858 1.73x
Surrey 474 1.96x
Lancashire 241 0.41x
Kent 196 1.16x
Staffordshire 176 1.05x
Hampshire 160 1.57x
Sussex 160 1.91x
Warwickshire 142 1.13x
Buckinghamshire 140 4.66x
Hertfordshire 134 3.91x
Norfolk 126 1.65x
Essex 91 0.93x
Somerset 90 1.13x
Lincolnshire 86 1.08x
Gloucestershire 71 0.73x
Pembrokeshire 70 4.43x
Berkshire 61 1.64x
Worcestershire 51 0.79x
Durham 48 0.32x
Suffolk 39 0.64x
Shropshire 38 0.89x
Wiltshire 36 0.82x
Devon 28 0.27x
Cheshire 26 0.24x
Glamorgan 24 0.28x
Herefordshire 22 1.08x
Derbyshire 21 0.27x
Nottinghamshire 20 0.30x
Monmouthshire 17 0.47x
Bedfordshire 16 0.62x
Huntingdonshire 15 1.52x
Northumberland 15 0.20x
Cambridgeshire 14 0.45x
Oxfordshire 14 0.46x
Dorset 13 0.40x
Carmarthenshire 9 0.43x
Northamptonshire 8 0.17x
Renfrewshire 8 0.21x
Channel Islands 6 0.41x
Cumberland 6 0.14x
Lanarkshire 4 0.02x
Royal Navy 4 0.68x
Cornwall 3 0.05x
Midlothian 3 0.05x
Angus 2 0.04x
Brecknockshire 1 0.10x
East Lothian 1 0.15x
Leicestershire 1 0.02x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.09x
Westmorland 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 193 Childs recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.94x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 193 6.94x
Islington London 102 2.12x
Hunslet 83 10.81x
St Pancras London 83 2.08x
Aston 81 2.35x
Hackney London 61 2.19x
Batley 56 11.97x
Horsforth 56 51.89x
Kensington London 55 1.99x
Camberwell 54 1.70x
Lambeth 52 1.20x
Stoke Upon Trent 52 2.92x
Beaconsfield 50 179.73x
St Marylebone London 49 1.85x
Oldham 47 2.47x
Bethnal Green London 44 2.04x
Birmingham 39 0.93x
Mile End Old Town London 39 3.69x
West Ham 37 1.71x
Bermondsey 36 2.43x
Brighton 36 2.13x
Croydon 35 2.61x
Great Yarmouth 33 5.22x
Deptford St Paul 32 2.45x
Dewsbury 32 6.34x
Armley 31 14.28x
Battersea 31 1.70x
Newington 31 1.69x
Willesden 31 6.62x
Wakefield 27 7.15x
Chelsea London 26 1.74x
Kingston On Thames 26 4.47x
Handsworth 25 6.05x
Manningham 25 4.12x
St George Hanover Square 25 2.86x
Penshurst 24 84.21x
Southwark St George Martyr 24 2.40x
Idle 23 10.08x
Wortley In Bramley 23 5.90x
Clerkenwell London 22 1.88x
Hammersmith London 22 1.80x
Liversedge 22 10.04x
Chiswick 21 7.74x
Bradford 20 1.68x
Huddersfield 20 2.79x
Wycombe 20 8.93x
Broadwater 19 9.89x
Castleford 19 10.60x
Chipping Barnet 19 31.73x
Eccleshill 19 15.86x
Holbeck 19 5.83x
Paddington London 19 1.04x
St Luke London 19 2.38x
Hampstead London 18 2.33x
Seer Green 18 320.86x
St Issells 18 53.92x
Calverley Cum Farsley 17 12.16x
Headingley Cum Burley 17 5.37x
Horsham 17 10.45x
Horton In Bradford 17 2.21x
Reading St Mary 17 5.69x
Rickmansworth 17 18.04x
St Swithin Lincoln 17 13.61x
Tonbridge 17 2.78x
Walthamstow 17 4.82x
Bowling 16 3.28x
Dorking 16 9.85x
Halifax 16 2.21x
St Albans St Peter 16 13.85x
West Derby 16 0.93x
Barrow Gurney 15 287.36x
Bromley London 15 1.37x
Kings Norton 15 2.58x
St Andrew Holborn London 15 6.98x
Wolverhampton 15 1.16x
Altofts 14 25.77x
Colne 14 7.97x
Soberton 14 74.79x
South Stoneham 14 6.34x
Wivenhoe 14 35.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 321
Elizabeth 181
Sarah 165
Ellen 92
Eliza 91
Emily 88
Emma 87
Jane 84
Annie 81
Ann 75
Alice 74
Hannah 65
Martha 52
Louisa 51
Edith 44
Florence 43
Caroline 42
Margaret 42
Harriet 38
Maria 36
Charlotte 34
Ada 31
Fanny 31
Clara 30
Catherine 23
Kate 23
Amelia 20
Harriett 20
Anne 16
Frances 15
Sophia 15
Susan 15
Amy 14
Henrietta 14
Minnie 14
Lucy 13
Agnes 12
Gertrude 12
Rosa 12
Eleanor 11
Elizth. 11
Esther 11
Ethel 11
Helen 10
Rose 10
Susannah 10
Jessie 9
Julia 9
Rachel 9
Rebecca 9

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 269
John 239
George 172
James 164
Henry 130
Thomas 130
Charles 106
Joseph 89
Arthur 56
Alfred 50
Walter 48
Albert 45
Robert 45
Frederick 44
Edward 37
Richard 35
Harry 33
Samuel 32
Benjamin 28
Herbert 23
Edwin 22
Ernest 21
Francis 20
David 13
Fred 13
Thos. 13
Percy 12
Stephen 12
Wm. 11
Edgar 10
Harold 10
Frank 9
Andrew 8
Isaac 8
Edmund 7
Sidney 7
Tom 7
Chas. 6
Geo. 6
Amos 5
Michael 5
Peter 5
Wallace 5
Cecil 4
Fred. 4
Fredk. 4
Fredrick 4
Martin 4
Matthew 4
Smith 4

FAQ

Child surname: questions and answers

How common was the Child surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,087 people were recorded with the Child surname. That placed it at #874 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Child surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,668 in 2016. That gives Child a modern rank of #1,856.

What does the Child surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English word "cild," meaning a youth of noble birth or a young lord.

What does the Child map show?

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