English
Early records reveal that this surname originated in England and Wales. Childress is a variation of the name Childers, Childerhouse.Tracing the roots of Childerhouse back through history, one discovers that it is derived from the Old English word 'cildra' : " cild ", which means " child " and " hus ", meaning " house ".The ravages of time are the worst enemies of written documents; while the stone that was used to construct castles, towers and other structures often assured that these precious monuments were to survive to the present day, old scrolls were more often than not lost or even destroyed without leaving a trace. Nonetheless, careful research has revealed the following:The earliest written reference to persons bearing this surname pertains to Hemericus de Childerhus in 1230; William atte Childirhus in 1295; John Chyldirhous, Childurous in 1415; 'Isabel de Childhers', mentioned in the Close Rolls, Thomas Childers in 1665 and Phillis Childres in 1746. Nothing further is recorded about his life; he may therefore have been one of the many settlers of the time who succumbed to disease or other hardships in the New World soon after their arrival, leaving behind no family of their own. There are approximately 25,000 people living in the United States today who have this surname.