Show ContentsChilders History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestry of the name Childers dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in or near an orphanage; the location of the specific orphanage that gave rise to the surname Childers is not known in modern times. The surname Childers may have also been a nickname for an orphan, or an occupational name applied to someone who ran an orphanage. Further research showed the name was derived from the Old English word cildra-hus, which means children's house or orphanage. 1

Early Origins of the Childers family

The surname Childers was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Childers family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Childers research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1565, 1607, 1623, 1645, 1670, 1838, 1870, 1876, 1905, 1922, 1973 and 1974 are included under the topic Early Childers History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Childers Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Childers have been found, including Childers, Childress, Childres and others.

Early Notables of the Childers family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Childers Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Childers Ranking

In the United States, the name Childers is the 1,066th most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 2

Ireland Migration of the Childers family to Ireland

Some of the Childers family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 119 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Childers migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Childers, or a variant listed above:

Childers Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Margtt Childers, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 3
Childers Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Harry N. Childers, aged 23, who immigrated to America from Worcester, in 1892
Childers Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • H.H. Childers, aged 30, who landed in America, in 1904
  • James R. Childers, aged 7, who immigrated to the United States, in 1913
  • John Childers, aged 43, who landed in America, in 1913
  • Zelma Childers, aged 9, who immigrated to the United States, in 1913
  • Erskine Childers, aged 44, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1914
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Childers (post 1700) +

  • Leee Black Childers (1945-2014), born Lee Black Childers, American photographer, writer and rock music manager who worked with Debbie Harry, Wayne County and The Sex Pistols
  • Rodney Childers (b. 1976), American NASCAR crew chief
  • Matthew Wilkie Childers (b. 1978), American Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Mary Alden Osgood "Molly" Childers MBE (1875-1964), American-born Irish writer and Irish nationalist
  • Travis Wayne Childers (b. 1958), American politician, former U.S. Representative from Mississippi's 1st congressional district (2008-2011)
  • Jason Lee Childers (b. 1975), American Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays
  • Alisa Childers (b. 1975), American singer-songwriter
  • Marion "Buddy" Childers (1926-2007), American trumpet player who at the age of 16 was hired by Stan Kenton hired him to be the lead trumpet in his band, he would later play with Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman, Les Brown and others
  • Robert Wayne “Bob” Childers (1946-2008), American country-folk musician and singer-songwriter
  • Second Lieutenant Ernest Childers, American officer awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1943
  • ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

SS Caribou
  • Mr. F. Childers, American passenger who was US Navy Coxswain was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he survived the sinking


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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