Explore the Family Name Champlain
The meaning of Champlain
1. Altered form of English Champlin. 2. French: topographic name denoting someone who lived by a flat field, from champ ‘field, open land’ (see Champ) + plaine ‘level’. History: Samuel de Champlain, explorer, colonizer, and founder of Quebec City, was lieutenant governor of New France from 1619 to his death in 1635. He was buried in Quebec City. In 1609 he gave his name to the lake which lies between VT and NY.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Champlain in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Champlain had a modest increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked the 36,672nd most popular name, but by 2010, it had risen slightly to become the 36,838th most popular. The actual count of people with this surname also increased from 575 in 2000 to 606 in 2010, marking an approximate 5.4% growth. However, the proportion per 100,000 people remained steady at 0.21 for both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #36,672 | #36,838 | -0.45% |
| Count | 575 | 606 | 5.39% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Champlain
The ethnic identity of individuals bearing the Champlain surname has also seen some shifts as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of those identifying as White decreased from 84.52% in 2000 to 80.2% in 2010. Meanwhile, those identifying as Hispanic saw a significant increase from 1.22% to 4.13%. There were notable increases in the percentages of Black and Asian/Pacific Islander identifiers too, rising from 0.87% to 2.15%, and 0.87% to 0.99%, respectively. The proportion of individuals claiming two or more races also grew from 5.74% in 2000 to 6.93% in 2010. However, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native decreased from 6.78% to 5.61% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.52% | 80.2% | -5.11% |
| Two or More Races | 5.74% | 6.93% | 20.73% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 6.78% | 5.61% | -17.26% |
| Hispanic | 1.22% | 4.13% | 238.52% |
| Black | 0.87% | 2.15% | 147.13% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.87% | 0.99% | 13.79% |