Explore the Family Name Child
The meaning of Child
English: 1. nickname from Middle English child ‘child, infant’ (Old English cild), in various possible applications. The word is found in Old English as a byname, and in Middle English as a widely used affectionate term of address. It was also used as a term of status for a young man of noble birth, although the exact meaning is not clear; in the 13th and 14th centuries it was a technical term used of a young noble awaiting elevation to the knighthood. In other cases it may have been applied as a byname to a youth considerably younger than his brothers or to one who was a minor on the death of his father. 2. in Kent, possibly a topographic name from Old English cielde ‘spring (water)’, a rare word derived from c(e)ald ‘cold’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Child in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Child" has seen a modest increase over the past decade. In 2000, "Child" was the 6,580th most popular surname, and by 2010 it had risen slightly to the 6,483rd spot—a 1.47% increase. The number of people bearing this surname also increased from 4,750 in 2000 to 5,237 in 2010, registering a 10.25% growth. The data indicates that the proportion of individuals with the surname 'Child' per 100,000 people has witnessed a minor hike of 1.14%, from 1.76 in 2000 to 1.78 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,580 | #6,483 | 1.47% |
| Count | 4,750 | 5,237 | 10.25% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.76 | 1.78 | 1.14% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Child
The ethnic identity associated with the surname "Child" has also experienced some shifts between 2000 and 2010, as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic, and those of two or more races have all increased. The largest growth was among American Indian and Alaskan Natives, which shot up by 75% (from 0.48% to 0.84%), closely followed by Hispanic ethnicity, which rose by 59.27% (from 3.56% to 5.67%). On the other hand, those identifying as White saw a decrease of 4.57% (from 89.52% to 85.43%) within the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.52% | 85.43% | -4.57% |
| Hispanic | 3.56% | 5.67% | 59.27% |
| Black | 4.11% | 5.04% | 22.63% |
| Two or More Races | 1.45% | 1.64% | 13.1% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.88% | 1.37% | 55.68% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.48% | 0.84% | 75% |
Child 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 Child is British & Irish, which comprises 54.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.8%) and Scandinavian (8.4%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, and Chinese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.6% |
| French & German | 17.8% |
| Scandinavian | 8.4% |
| Other | 19.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Child
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 Child have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 89.60% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 89.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.60% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 89.60% |
What Child 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 Child 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-M405 and R-P312, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Boswell, Bear, Baer, Pressley, Clouse, Armstrong, Ringer, Flint, Martindale, Howes.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Child surname are: H1, K1a, 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 Child 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.
"Child" Surname 38.1%
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.
"Child" Surname 24.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Child" Surname 29.3%
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.
"Child" Surname 20.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Child?
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 Child are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition