Champagne
A French habitational surname for someone from the province of Champagne.
The #2,982 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 25,680 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Champagne comes from French Champagne, the historic region in northeastern France. As a surname, it originally identified a person as being from that province, literally meaning “from Champagne” or “the Champenois.” The place name itself is connected with open country or a plain, rather than with sparkling wine, which is a much later association.
History
19th-century surname writers treated Champagne as a French local name and noted variants such as Champney, Champness, and related forms. In English records, bearers often appear as immigrants or descendants of immigrants from the Champagne region. The surname remains established in France and also appears in North America, including the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Surname writers in the 1800s sometimes linked Champagne and Champney as related forms, reflecting old spelling and pronunciation shifts across dialects.
From the historical record
“France has also Toumebulle — Les Tournebulle de Champagne portent d'azur k trois tetes de buffle. — Larchey, p. 466. TURNELL (Eng.) As this is specifically a”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)