Explore the Family Name Champion
The meaning of Champion
1. English (southern, of Norman origin) and French: from Middle English, Old French campion, champiun, champion ‘athlete’ such as a wrestler or boxer; also ‘warrior hired to do battle in single combat on behalf of others’ (from Late Latin campio, genitive campionis, a derivative of campus ‘plain, field of battle’). The first sense is probably the more usual source of the surname. 2. English (southern, of Norman origin): habitational name from Old French Champoigne, Champagne, the name of the French province, or from the derived ethnic name champaignon ‘person from Champagne’. Either of these could develop to Champion in Middle English. 3. French: habitational name from (Le) Champion, the name of several places in various parts of France.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Champion in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Champion' has slightly decreased in rank from 1953 in 2000 to 2058 in 2010. This is a drop of -5.38 percent over this ten-year period. However, the overall count or presence of the Champion surname increased by 3.71%, from 16,900 individuals in 2000 to 17,527 in 2010. The proportion of individuals with the Champion name per 100,000 people also experienced a small decrease, going from 6.26 in 2000 to 5.94 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,953 | #2,058 | -5.38% |
| Count | 16,900 | 17,527 | 3.71% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.26 | 5.94 | -5.11% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Champion
In terms of ethnicity, the distribution among those bearing the Champion surname has slightly varied between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The biggest increase occurred in the category of 'two or more races', which rose by 52.21% from 1.36% in 2000 to 2.07% in 2010. Those identifying as Hispanic followed, increasing by 25.63% from 4.37% to 5.49%. There was also a slight rise in the Asian/Pacific Islander and Black categories at 21.62% and 6.05% respectively. The White category, however, saw a decrease of -4.09%, dropping from 74.51% in 2000 to 71.46% in 2010. The change in the American Indian and Alaskan Native category was negligible at 2.70%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 74.51% | 71.46% | -4.09% |
| Black | 19.01% | 20.16% | 6.05% |
| Hispanic | 4.37% | 5.49% | 25.63% |
| Two or More Races | 1.36% | 2.07% | 52.21% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.37% | 0.45% | 21.62% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.37% | 0.38% | 2.7% |
Champion ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Champion is British & Irish, which comprises 51.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.0%) and Spanish & Portuguese (4.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Nigerian, Scandinavian, Indigenous American, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 51.6% |
| French & German | 21.0% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 4.3% |
| Other | 23.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Champion
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Champion have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 79.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 79.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 79.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 78.70% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 78.70% |
What Champion haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Champion is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and G-Z39088, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Harrison, Cross, Andrews, Davis, West, Powell, Simons, Morris, Thorn, Barnes.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Champion surname are: H1, H3, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Champion have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Champion" Surname 43.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Champion" Surname 35.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Champion" Surname 19.2%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Champion" Surname 19.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Champion?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Champion are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition