NameCensus.

UK surname

Bellfield

A locational surname indicating someone who resided near a beautiful field or meadow.

In the 1881 census there were 297 people recorded with the Bellfield surname, ranking it #9,792 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 282, ranked #15,406, down from #9,792 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mirfield, Manchester and Runcorn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Halton and Leeds.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bellfield is 323 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 5.1%.

1881 census count

297

Ranked #9,792

Modern count

282

2016, ranked #15,406

Peak year

1901

323 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bellfield had 297 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,792 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 282 in 2016, ranked #15,406.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 323 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Bellfield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bellfield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bellfield 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 90 #18,317
1861 historical 104 #20,477
1881 historical 297 #9,792
1891 historical 258 #12,440
1901 historical 323 #11,065
1911 historical 167 #16,692
1997 modern 256 #15,034
1998 modern 261 #15,241
1999 modern 263 #15,267
2000 modern 265 #15,143
2001 modern 262 #15,034
2002 modern 267 #15,123
2003 modern 273 #14,715
2004 modern 286 #14,312
2005 modern 281 #14,411
2006 modern 282 #14,459
2007 modern 293 #14,272
2008 modern 297 #14,230
2009 modern 302 #14,353
2010 modern 302 #14,661
2011 modern 297 #14,698
2012 modern 284 #15,090
2013 modern 287 #15,224
2014 modern 290 #15,203
2015 modern 288 #15,190
2016 modern 282 #15,406

Geography

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Where Bellfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mirfield, Manchester, Runcorn, Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall and Kirkcaldy Dysart and Abbotshall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Halton and Leeds. 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 Mirfield Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Runcorn Cheshire
4 Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall Staffordshire
5 Kirkcaldy Dysart and Abbotshall Fife

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Halton 011 Halton
2 Halton 013 Halton
3 Halton 012 Halton
4 Leeds 021 Leeds
5 Halton 016 Halton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bellfield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bellfield

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bellfield, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Bellfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bellfield household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bellfield 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

Bellfield is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bellfield falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bellfield is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bellfield

The surname Bellfield has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "belle" meaning "bell" and "feld" meaning "field," likely referring to a field or area where bell-making or bell-ringing took place.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which mentions a "William de Bellefeld." This suggests that the name was initially a locational surname, referring to a specific place or region.

As the centuries passed, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Belfeld, Belfelde, and Bellefeld, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. It is also possible that the name is associated with certain place names, such as the village of Belfield in Derbyshire or the hamlet of Bellfield in West Yorkshire.

Notable individuals with the surname Bellfield include John Bellfield (c. 1520-1587), an English merchant and alderman from Bristol. Another prominent figure was Sir Henry Bellfield (1604-1672), a Member of Parliament for Wells during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, Robert Bellfield (1736-1804) was a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Exchange in London. James Bellfield (1772-1846) was a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a colonial governor.

Moving into the 19th century, William Bellfield (1826-1901) was a prominent English lawyer and judge, serving as a Baron of the Exchequer and a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas.

While the name Bellfield may have originated as a locational surname, it eventually became more widely adopted and used throughout various regions of England. The name's historical significance lies in its connection to the bell-making industry and its longstanding presence in official records and notable figures across various fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bellfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bellfield 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. Staffordshire leads with 62 Bellfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.34x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 62 6.34x
Yorkshire 56 1.95x
Cheshire 55 8.60x
Lancashire 42 1.22x
Derbyshire 26 5.73x
Fife 13 7.58x
Nottinghamshire 12 3.07x
East Lothian 11 28.67x
Warwickshire 11 1.51x
Devon 4 0.66x
Cumberland 1 0.40x
Hampshire 1 0.17x
Kent 1 0.10x
Lanarkshire 1 0.11x
Middlesex 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kingswinford in Staffordshire leads with 21 Bellfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 59.14x.

Place Total Index
Kingswinford 21 59.14x
Manchester 14 9.06x
Mirfield 14 88.83x
Audley 11 113.64x
Nantwich 11 148.05x
Prestonpans 11 428.02x
Willenhall 11 60.04x
Aston 10 4.97x
Glossop Dale 10 47.08x
Leeds 10 6.17x
Dysart 8 69.26x
Holbeck 8 42.06x
Stoke Upon Trent 8 7.71x
Hulme 7 9.75x
Marple 7 159.45x
Over Darwen 7 25.49x
North Bierley 6 38.71x
Nottingham St Peter 6 137.93x
Outseats 6 3157.89x
Yeardsley Cum Whaley 6 476.19x
Abbotshall 5 78.00x
Hartington Upper 5 231.48x
Macclesfield 5 17.59x
Stayley 5 68.40x
Basford 4 22.22x
Bollington In 4 70.30x
Bosden 4 204.08x
Droylsden 4 35.65x
Long Preston 4 571.43x
Odd Rode 4 126.18x
Plymouth St Andrew 4 8.61x
Stafford St Mary 4 28.90x
Wildboarclough 4 1739.13x
Bradfield 3 27.10x
Dewsbury 3 10.19x
Hunslet 3 6.70x
Wolstanton 3 10.10x
Wuerdle Wardle 3 28.74x
Ardwick 2 6.45x
Bilston 2 10.55x
Derby St Werburgh 2 7.64x
Habergham Eaves 2 6.37x
Sheffield 2 2.19x
Sutton In Macclesfield 2 30.12x
Aldershot 1 5.03x
Burnley 1 3.45x
Butley 1 181.82x
Coleshill 1 42.74x
Duffield 1 27.93x
Ecclesall Bierlow 1 1.71x
Gorton 1 3.09x
Halifax 1 2.37x
Hassop 1 1111.11x
Heaton Norris 1 5.11x
Hurdsfield 1 25.38x
Matlock 1 16.42x
Newcastle Under Lyme 1 5.78x
Nottingham St Mary 1 0.99x
Old Monkland 1 2.69x
Orpington 1 33.00x
Oulton Cum Woodlesford 1 42.92x
Rainow 1 78.74x
St Cuthbert W O 1 8.22x
Standard Hill 1 107.53x
Wednesbury 1 4.09x
Westminster St John 1 2.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 18
Sarah 12
Elizabeth 10
Alice 7
Hannah 6
Martha 6
Ann 5
Annie 4
Harriet 4
Jane 4
Clara 3
Edith 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Margaret 3
Matilda 3
Ada 2
Caroline 2
Charlotte 2
Harriett 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Adela 1
Anne 1
Bernice 1
Bertha 1
Betsy 1
C. 1
Cristanne 1
Dinah 1
Eleanor 1
Ellenor 1
Emily 1
Emm 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
J. 1
Jessie 1
Keziah 1
May 1
N. 1
Prudence 1
Rachael 1
Susanah 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 22
John 19
James 9
George 8
Joseph 8
Charles 5
Edward 5
Henry 5
Ralph 5
Alfred 4
Isaac 4
Harry 3
Walter 3
David 2
Earnest 2
Edwin 2
Jacob 2
Thomas 2
Thos. 2
Adam 1
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
Enoch 1
Ernest 1
Esau 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Hub. 1
Jas. 1
Job 1
Joel 1
Josh 1
Joshua 1
Leonard 1
Levi 1
Lister 1
Noah 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Robt.Stratford 1
Saml. 1
Samuel 1
T. 1
Wm. 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Bellfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bellfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 297 people were recorded with the Bellfield surname. That placed it at #9,792 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bellfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 282 in 2016. That gives Bellfield a modern rank of #15,406.

What does the Bellfield surname mean?

A locational surname indicating someone who resided near a beautiful field or meadow.

What does the Bellfield map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bellfield 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.