NameCensus.

UK surname

Belfield

A habitational surname referring to a field or meadow near a town.

In the 1881 census there were 760 people recorded with the Belfield surname, ranking it #4,865 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,113, ranked #5,284, down from #4,865 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Rochdale and Duffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Staffordshire Moorlands and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Belfield is 1,214 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.4%.

1881 census count

760

Ranked #4,865

Modern count

1,113

2016, ranked #5,284

Peak year

1999

1,214 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Belfield had 760 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,865 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,113 in 2016, ranked #5,284.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,213 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Belfield surname distribution map

The map shows where the Belfield surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Belfield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Belfield over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 650 #4,003
1861 historical 755 #3,622
1881 historical 760 #4,865
1891 historical 973 #4,250
1901 historical 960 #4,893
1911 historical 1,213 #3,889
1997 modern 1,117 #4,999
1998 modern 1,192 #4,915
1999 modern 1,214 #4,879
2000 modern 1,212 #4,858
2001 modern 1,181 #4,866
2002 modern 1,182 #4,960
2003 modern 1,155 #4,966
2004 modern 1,133 #5,063
2005 modern 1,113 #5,088
2006 modern 1,104 #5,125
2007 modern 1,089 #5,230
2008 modern 1,117 #5,158
2009 modern 1,142 #5,160
2010 modern 1,165 #5,173
2011 modern 1,158 #5,153
2012 modern 1,136 #5,147
2013 modern 1,150 #5,186
2014 modern 1,161 #5,162
2015 modern 1,152 #5,149
2016 modern 1,113 #5,284

Geography

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Where Belfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Rochdale, Duffield, Leek and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Staffordshire Moorlands and Cheshire East. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Rochdale Lancashire
3 Duffield Derbyshire
4 Leek Staffordshire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Staffordshire Moorlands 001 Staffordshire Moorlands
2 Staffordshire Moorlands 007 Staffordshire Moorlands
3 Cheshire East 020 Cheshire East
4 Staffordshire Moorlands 006 Staffordshire Moorlands
5 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Belfield

These lists show first names that appear often with the Belfield surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Belfield

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Belfield, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Belfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Belfield household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Belfield is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Belfield is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Belfield falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Belfield is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Belfield, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Belfield

The surname Belfield is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "belle" meaning "fair" and "feld" meaning "field" or "open area." It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century, as a locational surname given to someone who lived near a fair or beautiful field.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Belfield can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, dated 1195, where it is listed as "de Belfelde." This suggests that the name was initially associated with a specific place, likely a village or manor named Belfield.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it was spelled "Belfaude." This variation in spelling was common during the Middle Ages due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Belfield. However, it does mention several places with similar names, such as Beaufield in Worcestershire and Belford in Northumberland, which may have been the original locations associated with the surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Belfield throughout history include:

1. Sir Thomas Belfield (c. 1520-1589), an English politician and member of parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. 2. William Belfield (1690-1755), an English clergyman and author of several theological works. 3. Henry Hugh Belfield (1801-1888), an English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in Yorkshire. 4. Longstreet Belfield (1824-1899), an American Civil War veteran and businessman from South Carolina. 5. Edith Belfield (1890-1975), a British writer and novelist known for her historical fiction set in the Middle Ages.

The surname Belfield has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Belfield in Gloucestershire, Belfield in Somerset, and Belfield in Yorkshire. These place names likely derived from the same Old English roots as the surname, referring to areas with fair or beautiful fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Belfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Belfield surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 161 Belfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.83x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 161 1.83x
Staffordshire 151 6.04x
Cheshire 116 7.10x
Derbyshire 109 9.40x
Yorkshire 81 1.10x
Nottinghamshire 39 3.91x
Surrey 26 0.72x
Kent 18 0.71x
Gloucestershire 16 1.10x
Warwickshire 10 0.54x
Northamptonshire 7 1.01x
Middlesex 5 0.07x
Devon 4 0.26x
East Lothian 3 3.06x
Leicestershire 3 0.37x
Essex 2 0.14x
Oxfordshire 2 0.44x
Shropshire 2 0.31x
Worcestershire 2 0.21x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.22x
Somerset 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ashton Under Lyne in Lancashire leads with 35 Belfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.23x.

Place Total Index
Ashton Under Lyne 35 18.23x
Macclesfield 31 42.67x
Butterworth 23 107.43x
Leek Frith 22 1057.69x
Hunsworth 18 467.53x
Leek Lowe 18 54.14x
Wyke In Bradford 17 129.57x
Castleton 14 15.96x
Nottingham St Mary 14 5.42x
Wuerdle Wardle 14 52.49x
Belper 13 57.85x
Buxton 13 132.52x
Burslem 12 16.76x
North Bierley 12 30.30x
Oldham 12 4.23x
Radford 12 23.67x
Runcorn 12 31.85x
Sutton In Macclesfield 12 70.75x
Derby St Alkmund 10 28.79x
Fawfieldhead 10 625.00x
Hartington Upper 10 180.83x
Longnor 10 735.29x
Spondon 10 224.22x
Streatham 10 18.21x
Ardwick 9 11.36x
Dukinfield 9 11.92x
Keston 9 478.72x
Manchester 9 2.28x
Stoke Upon Trent 9 3.40x
Fairfield 8 103.23x
Pleasley 8 273.97x
Spotland 8 8.19x
Ashborne 7 88.83x
Branstone 7 278.88x
Burton Upon Trent 7 11.97x
Checkley 7 107.86x
Salford 7 2.71x
Sheffield 7 3.00x
Towcester 7 97.49x
Warslow Elkstone 7 472.97x
Westbury On Trym 7 14.23x
Aston 6 1.17x
Chadderton 6 13.97x
Congleton 6 21.25x
Croydon 6 3.00x
Horninglow 6 50.98x
Hyde 6 12.44x
Liscard 6 20.37x
Mirfield 6 14.90x
Bradfield 5 17.68x
Bromley 5 12.99x
Heaton 5 602.41x
Newton By Chester 5 735.29x
Pendleton In Salford 5 4.78x
Penge 5 10.57x
Sheen 5 471.70x
York St Giles In 5 72.25x
Beeston 4 34.87x
Bowling 4 5.50x
Chester Holy Trinity 4 52.22x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 2.87x
Denby 4 112.99x
Derby St Werburgh 4 5.98x
Dilhorne 4 96.15x
Elford 4 370.37x
Exeter St David 4 30.37x
Heathylee 4 377.36x
Hurdsfield 4 39.76x
Mansfield 4 11.58x
Monks Coppenhall 4 6.49x
Morley 4 571.43x
Normanton 4 40.86x
Stockport 4 4.76x
Wardleworth 4 7.97x
Church Lawton 3 143.54x
Clifton 3 4.09x
Hartington Middle 3 352.94x
Hartington Town Quarter 3 275.23x
Prestonpans 3 45.59x
Whittington 3 58.71x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Belfield surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 59
Sarah 32
Elizabeth 29
Ann 21
Hannah 19
Martha 16
Jane 15
Emma 14
Eliza 9
Alice 8
Anne 7
Annie 7
Lucy 7
Ellen 6
Harriet 6
Margaret 6
Emily 5
Florence 5
Maria 5
Betty 4
Charlotte 4
Fanny 4
Agnes 3
Elizth. 3
Ada 2
Betsy 2
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Edna 2
Esther 2
Ethel 2
Grace 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Lydia 2
Olive 2
Prudence 2
Rose 2
Susannah 2
Winifred 2
Cecilia 1
Celia 1
Elizath. 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth.Ann 1
Ella 1
Isabel 1
Janet 1
Winnie 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Belfield surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 43
Joseph 32
James 31
Thomas 31
William 31
Samuel 20
George 18
Charles 11
Arthur 8
Henry 8
Harry 7
Isaac 7
Robert 7
Francis 5
Herbert 5
Albert 4
Benjamin 4
Edwin 4
Frank 4
Fred 4
David 3
Edward 3
Frederick 3
Mark 3
Matthew 3
Ralph 3
Thos. 3
Walter 3
Wilfred 3
Aaron 2
Abel 2
Alfd. 2
Ellis 2
Geo. 2
Luke 2
Nahum 2
Nahurn 2
Saml. 2
B.Thomas 1
Ben 1
E.A. 1
Earnest 1
Edmund 1
Eversley 1
Fergus 1
Francess 1
Hugh 1
Irvine 1
Jabes 1
Jim 1

FAQ

Belfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Belfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 760 people were recorded with the Belfield surname. That placed it at #4,865 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Belfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,113 in 2016. That gives Belfield a modern rank of #5,284.

What does the Belfield surname mean?

A habitational surname referring to a field or meadow near a town.

What does the Belfield map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Belfield bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.