NameCensus.

UK surname

Blanchfield

A surname of French origin meaning "white field".

In the 1881 census there were 72 people recorded with the Blanchfield surname, ranking it #23,371 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 173, ranked #21,561, up from #23,371 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bradford, Rochford and Spelthorne.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Blanchfield is 193 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 140.3%.

1881 census count

72

Ranked #23,371

Modern count

173

2016, ranked #21,561

Peak year

1999

193 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Blanchfield had 72 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,371 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 173 in 2016, ranked #21,561.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 80 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Blanchfield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Blanchfield surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Blanchfield 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 44 #25,328
1861 historical 27 #30,543
1881 historical 72 #23,371
1891 historical 49 #30,349
1901 historical 59 #27,609
1911 historical 80 #24,821
1997 modern 173 #19,295
1998 modern 185 #18,973
1999 modern 193 #18,642
2000 modern 186 #19,055
2001 modern 186 #18,773
2002 modern 178 #19,671
2003 modern 166 #20,320
2004 modern 160 #20,926
2005 modern 164 #20,552
2006 modern 171 #20,131
2007 modern 161 #21,201
2008 modern 171 #20,595
2009 modern 180 #20,341
2010 modern 180 #20,812
2011 modern 177 #20,874
2012 modern 176 #20,915
2013 modern 167 #21,984
2014 modern 172 #21,731
2015 modern 172 #21,649
2016 modern 173 #21,561

Geography

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Where Blanchfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bradford, Rochford, Spelthorne, Kirklees and Cheltenham. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bradford 047 Bradford
2 Rochford 008 Rochford
3 Spelthorne 010 Spelthorne
4 Kirklees 002 Kirklees
5 Cheltenham 011 Cheltenham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Blanchfield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Blanchfield

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Blanchfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Blanchfield household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Blanchfield is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Blanchfield 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

Blanchfield falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Blanchfield is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Blanchfield

The surname Blanchfield is of Anglo-Norman French origin, derived from the Old French words "blanche" meaning "white" and "field" referring to a field or clearing. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Normandy and northern France during the Middle Ages, likely as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near a field or clearing with pale or white soil.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Blanchfield dates back to the 13th century in the Hundredorum Rolls of Lincolnshire, England. This was an important medieval record that documented landowners and their holdings. The entry lists a Robert de Blanchefeld, indicating the name's roots in that region.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Chancery Rolls of Yorkshire, where a William Blaunchifeld was mentioned as a landowner. This variation in spelling was common in those times, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.

During the 16th century, the Blanchfield surname was found in various records across England, including the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1548, which listed a John Blanchfield as a landholder.

One notable figure with the Blanchfield surname was Sir Thomas Blanchfield (1617-1689), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Hedon in Yorkshire. He played a role in the English Civil War and was a staunch supporter of the Parliamentarian cause.

Another prominent individual was William Blanchfield (1768-1842), an Irish-born Anglican clergyman who served as the Archbishop of Dublin and Bishop of Kilmore. He was known for his scholarly works and contributions to the Church of Ireland.

In the 19th century, the Blanchfield name can be found in various genealogical records and parish registers across the United Kingdom and Ireland. One such record is the birth of Joseph Blanchfield in County Wexford, Ireland, in 1845.

While the surname Blanchfield is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, reflecting its Anglo-Norman French origins and ties to the land and geography of its bearers.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Blanchfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Blanchfield 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. Yorkshire leads with 30 Blanchfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.08x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 30 4.08x
Lancashire 16 1.82x
Norfolk 7 6.14x
Pembrokeshire 6 25.48x
Devon 4 2.59x
Kent 3 1.19x
Royal Navy 2 22.65x
Hampshire 1 0.66x
Hertfordshire 1 1.96x
Middlesex 1 0.13x
Staffordshire 1 0.40x
Suffolk 1 1.11x
Sussex 1 0.80x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Horton In Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 9 Blanchfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 78.47x.

Place Total Index
Horton In Bradford 9 78.47x
Bowling 8 110.04x
Hulme 8 43.57x
Herbrandston 6 6666.67x
Batley 5 71.63x
Market Weighton Arras 5 1041.67x
West Dereham 5 3571.43x
Exeter Holy Trinity 4 666.67x
Manchester 4 10.11x
Tottington Lower End 4 95.69x
Woolwich 3 32.12x
Royal Navy 2 26.49x
Chipping Barnet 1 112.36x
Denton 1 833.33x
East Bergholt 1 333.33x
Fakenham 1 178.57x
Farnborough 1 62.50x
Kensington London 1 2.43x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 169.49x
Normanby In 1 51.02x
South Cliff 1 3333.33x
Thetford St Peter 1 333.33x
Wolverhampton 1 5.20x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

FAQ

Blanchfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Blanchfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 72 people were recorded with the Blanchfield surname. That placed it at #23,371 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Blanchfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 173 in 2016. That gives Blanchfield a modern rank of #21,561.

What does the Blanchfield surname mean?

A surname of French origin meaning "white field".

What does the Blanchfield map show?

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