NameCensus.

UK surname

Childs

An English occupational surname referring to a keeper of children, likely an orphanage worker or foster parent.

In the 1881 census there were 5,492 people recorded with the Childs surname, ranking it #809 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 8,061, ranked #820, down from #809 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Melbury Osmond and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Forest of Dean, Shropshire and East Northamptonshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Childs is 8,820 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.8%.

1881 census count

5,492

Ranked #809

Modern count

8,061

2016, ranked #820

Peak year

1999

8,820 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Childs had 5,492 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #809 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 8,061 in 2016, ranked #820.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,825 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Childs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Childs surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Childs 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 2,955 #982
1861 historical 3,389 #837
1881 historical 5,492 #809
1891 historical 6,106 #760
1901 historical 7,106 #776
1911 historical 7,825 #659
1997 modern 8,430 #755
1998 modern 8,764 #752
1999 modern 8,820 #753
2000 modern 8,705 #762
2001 modern 8,531 #758
2002 modern 8,647 #763
2003 modern 8,439 #767
2004 modern 8,385 #770
2005 modern 8,165 #780
2006 modern 8,084 #794
2007 modern 8,066 #804
2008 modern 8,061 #809
2009 modern 8,215 #809
2010 modern 8,322 #814
2011 modern 8,139 #824
2012 modern 8,019 #817
2013 modern 8,147 #817
2014 modern 8,199 #818
2015 modern 8,115 #817
2016 modern 8,061 #820

Geography

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Where Childs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Melbury Osmond, St Pancras and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Forest of Dean, Shropshire, East Northamptonshire and West Dorset. 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 Melbury Osmond Dorset
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Forest of Dean 007 Forest of Dean
2 Shropshire 029 Shropshire
3 East Northamptonshire 008 East Northamptonshire
4 West Dorset 003 West Dorset
5 Shropshire 034 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Childs

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Childs

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

Childs 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

Childs falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Childs

The surname Childs is an English habitational name derived from a place called Childs Ercall in Shropshire, England. This place name is thought to have originated from the Old English words 'cild' meaning 'child' and 'ert' meaning 'soil' or 'ground', referring to a fertile area suitable for raising children.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Childs dates back to the 13th century in the Hundred Rolls of Shropshire from 1273, where it appears as 'de Childiserhull'. This spelling variation demonstrates the name's connection to the place of origin.

In the famous Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings across England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the name Childs. However, the village of Childs Ercall is mentioned under its older spelling, 'Childiserhull'.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Childs, who was born around 1470 in Woodborough, Nottinghamshire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a magistrate in the region.

Another notable individual with the surname Childs was Sir Francis Childs (1607-1685), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London from 1670 to 1671. He was instrumental in rebuilding parts of the city after the Great Fire of London in 1666.

In the 16th century, the name Childs appeared in various records across England, including the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1523, where it was spelled as 'Chylde'.

A famous literary figure who bore the surname Childs was Mary Childs (1822-1899), an English novelist and poet. She published several works, including "The Bentons: A Story of Today" and "The Courtier: A Novel of the Time of Charles II".

Another notable bearer of the name was Ebenezer Lane Childs (1786-1856), an American politician and lawyer from Massachusetts. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1823 to 1825.

The surname Childs has also been associated with various place names across England, such as Childs Wickham in Gloucestershire and Childs Ercall in Shropshire, further highlighting its habitational origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Childs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Childs 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 973 Childs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.81x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 973 1.81x
Surrey 568 2.17x
Essex 377 3.56x
Hampshire 330 3.00x
Hertfordshire 305 8.25x
Dorset 216 6.13x
Kent 203 1.11x
Northamptonshire 158 3.13x
Shropshire 154 3.32x
Lancashire 153 0.24x
Norfolk 153 1.85x
Yorkshire 129 0.24x
Bedfordshire 128 4.61x
Sussex 112 1.24x
Nottinghamshire 106 1.47x
Warwickshire 106 0.78x
Huntingdonshire 105 9.85x
Berkshire 99 2.46x
Gloucestershire 97 0.92x
Cambridgeshire 87 2.56x
Worcestershire 83 1.18x
Somerset 80 0.93x
Durham 77 0.48x
Suffolk 61 0.93x
Lincolnshire 60 0.70x
Derbyshire 58 0.69x
Glamorgan 56 0.60x
Pembrokeshire 55 3.23x
Staffordshire 55 0.30x
Buckinghamshire 44 1.36x
Herefordshire 43 1.95x
Cheshire 32 0.27x
Leicestershire 30 0.50x
Brecknockshire 21 1.96x
Cornwall 20 0.33x
Devon 20 0.18x
Northumberland 17 0.21x
Denbighshire 15 0.74x
Monmouthshire 15 0.39x
Oxfordshire 15 0.45x
Lanarkshire 11 0.06x
Midlothian 11 0.15x
Royal Navy 11 1.72x
Carmarthenshire 10 0.44x
Renfrewshire 7 0.17x
East Lothian 6 0.84x
Caernarfonshire 5 0.23x
Westmorland 5 0.42x
Fife 4 0.13x
Cumberland 3 0.06x
Rutland 3 0.76x
West Lothian 3 0.37x
Wiltshire 2 0.04x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.02x
Channel Islands 1 0.06x
Isle of Man 1 0.10x
Montgomeryshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 100 Childs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.92x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 100 1.92x
Hackney London 89 2.96x
Portsea 78 3.62x
St Pancras London 71 1.64x
Camberwell 67 1.95x
Melbury Osmond 67 935.75x
Little Amwell 56 433.10x
Southwark St George Martyr 56 5.19x
Lambeth 49 1.05x
Alverstoke 44 11.05x
Prittlewell 44 29.97x
Brighton 40 2.19x
West Dean 39 22.81x
West Ham 36 1.54x
Bermondsey 35 2.19x
Newington 35 1.77x
Poplar London 34 3.36x
South Mimms 34 46.20x
Dudley 32 3.76x
Bethnal Green London 31 1.33x
Felstead 30 82.64x
St Albans St Peter 30 24.04x
Chelsea London 29 1.79x
Sarratt 29 225.51x
Clerkenwell London 28 2.21x
Rickmansworth 28 27.49x
St Marylebone London 28 0.98x
West Rainton 28 56.67x
Enfield 27 7.67x
Finchley 27 13.12x
Paddington London 26 1.32x
Shoreditch London 26 1.12x
St George Hanover Square 26 2.75x
Birmingham 25 0.55x
Fulham London 25 3.21x
Kensington London 25 0.84x
Reigate Foreign 25 8.83x
Rushden 24 35.55x
Bedford St Paul 23 12.07x
Crowland 23 42.74x
Deptford St Paul 23 1.63x
Penshurst 23 74.70x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 22 2.22x
Chigwell 22 22.00x
Tottenham 22 2.57x
Hornsey 21 3.09x
Stoke 21 17.02x
Bishops Sutton 20 253.81x
Braintree 20 21.03x
Hillingdon 20 11.69x
Battersea 19 0.96x
Nuneaton 19 12.12x
Ringstead 19 108.32x
Rugby 19 10.38x
West Derby 19 1.02x
Albury 18 75.50x
Alconbury 18 142.18x
Aston 18 0.48x
Croydon 18 1.24x
Fareham 18 13.62x
Gorleston 18 10.84x
Limehouse London 18 3.06x
Mansfield 18 7.19x
Shenley 18 73.80x
Teddington London 18 14.81x
Cookham 17 13.54x
Rotherhithe 17 2.56x
South Warnborough 17 293.10x
St Giles In Fields London 17 6.46x
Wolverhampton 17 1.22x
Abdon 16 565.37x
Great Yarmouth 16 2.34x
Leominster 16 17.57x
Llangwm 16 99.69x
Oldham 16 0.78x
Carlton 15 172.22x
Coton 15 251.26x
Killamarsh 15 28.70x
Llangattock 15 17.16x
Reading St Giles 15 3.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 342
Elizabeth 214
Sarah 190
Eliza 111
Jane 95
Emma 94
Ann 88
Ellen 84
Annie 75
Alice 73
Emily 72
Hannah 49
Louisa 49
Martha 48
Fanny 44
Harriet 42
Charlotte 39
Maria 37
Edith 35
Florence 33
Kate 30
Susan 30
Caroline 29
Lucy 29
Margaret 29
Anne 28
Agnes 24
Clara 24
Amelia 21
Catherine 21
Ada 20
Esther 20
Harriett 20
Frances 17
Julia 17
Selina 17
Jessie 13
Rebecca 13
Sophia 13
Susannah 13
Amy 12
Rachel 12
Rose 12
Eleanor 10
Rosa 10
Gertrude 9
Laura 9
Matilda 9
Ruth 9
Henrietta 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 365
John 280
George 253
James 176
Thomas 155
Henry 152
Charles 136
Alfred 85
Joseph 85
Arthur 71
Edward 66
Walter 54
Frederick 52
Robert 52
Albert 38
Harry 38
Richard 36
Samuel 36
David 25
Ernest 24
Herbert 23
Edwin 19
Frank 19
Wm. 16
Francis 13
Percy 12
Benjamin 9
Stephen 9
Amos 8
Christopher 8
Fred 8
Mark 8
Daniel 7
Edmund 7
Fredrick 7
Isaac 7
Thos. 7
Chas. 6
Fredk. 6
Geo. 6
Sidney 6
Jas. 5
Jesse 5
Philip 5
Willm. 5
Hugh 4
Jonathan 4
Lewis 4
Richd. 4
Robt. 4

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Childs households.

FAQ

Childs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Childs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,492 people were recorded with the Childs surname. That placed it at #809 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Childs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 8,061 in 2016. That gives Childs a modern rank of #820.

What does the Childs surname mean?

An English occupational surname referring to a keeper of children, likely an orphanage worker or foster parent.

What does the Childs map show?

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