NameCensus.

UK surname

Canfield

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "open field frequented by canes or reeds."

In the 1881 census there were 355 people recorded with the Canfield surname, ranking it #8,679 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 433, ranked #11,120, down from #8,679 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Baldock, Willian, Weston, Clothall, Bygrave, Norton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, County Durham and St Albans.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Canfield is 494 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.0%.

1881 census count

355

Ranked #8,679

Modern count

433

2016, ranked #11,120

Peak year

1901

494 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Canfield had 355 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,679 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 433 in 2016, ranked #11,120.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 494 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Canfield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Canfield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Canfield 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 298 #7,691
1861 historical 312 #8,127
1881 historical 355 #8,679
1891 historical 361 #9,589
1901 historical 494 #8,124
1911 historical 476 #8,124
1997 modern 433 #10,375
1998 modern 446 #10,469
1999 modern 431 #10,840
2000 modern 426 #10,878
2001 modern 419 #10,835
2002 modern 423 #10,975
2003 modern 401 #11,242
2004 modern 405 #11,177
2005 modern 402 #11,137
2006 modern 392 #11,418
2007 modern 396 #11,459
2008 modern 398 #11,525
2009 modern 411 #11,480
2010 modern 424 #11,449
2011 modern 429 #11,197
2012 modern 439 #10,873
2013 modern 462 #10,618
2014 modern 452 #10,857
2015 modern 444 #10,935
2016 modern 433 #11,120

Geography

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Where Canfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Baldock, Willian, Weston, Clothall, Bygrave, Norton and Westerham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, County Durham, St Albans, Epping Forest and Broxbourne. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Baldock, Willian, Weston, Clothall, Bygrave, Norton Hertfordshire
5 Westerham Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 008 Cornwall
2 County Durham 016 County Durham
3 St Albans 004 St Albans
4 Epping Forest 007 Epping Forest
5 Broxbourne 003 Broxbourne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Canfield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Canfield

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Canfield, 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 Canfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Canfield 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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Canfield 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

Canfield 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

Canfield falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Canfield

The surname Canfield originated in England and has its roots in the Old English words "canu" meaning "cane" or "reed" and "feld" meaning "field." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked in a field of reeds or canes.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 12th century in various counties across England, including Essex, Hertfordshire, and Warwickshire. It was initially spelled in various ways, such as Canenfeld, Canunfeld, and Canefelde.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William de Canefelde, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Hertfordshire in 1166. Another notable early record is that of Robert de Canfeld, who was listed in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272.

The Canfield surname is also associated with several place names across England, including Canfield in Essex and Canfield in Derbyshire. These locations likely derived their names from the Old English words that formed the basis of the surname.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Canfield. One such individual was Benedict Canfield (1562-1611), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of King James I for his religious beliefs.

Another prominent Canfield was Cuthbert Canfield (1619-1689), an English mathematician and clergyman who served as the Rector of the Church of St. Martin's in Hereford. He is known for his work on logarithms and his contributions to the field of mathematics.

In the United States, the Canfield family trace their roots back to Thomas Canfield (1601-1668), who immigrated from England to Milford, Connecticut in the 1630s. His descendants went on to settle in various parts of the country, including New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

One notable American Canfield was Arthur Graves Canfield (1859-1920), a lawyer and philanthropist from Ohio. He served as the President of the Ohio State University Board of Trustees and was instrumental in the establishment of the Canfield Training School for Children, a pioneering institution in the field of special education.

Another Canfield of note was Pauline Canfield (1867-1924), an American author and poet who wrote several works of fiction and non-fiction, including the novel The Custody of the Child and the poetry collection The Bride of the Mistletoe.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Canfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Canfield 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. Surrey leads with 101 Canfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.18x.

County Total Index
Surrey 101 6.18x
Middlesex 64 1.91x
Kent 50 4.37x
Hertfordshire 34 14.70x
Lancashire 23 0.58x
Sussex 12 2.12x
Worcestershire 10 2.28x
Yorkshire 8 0.24x
Lanarkshire 6 0.55x
Berkshire 5 1.99x
Durham 5 0.50x
Monmouthshire 5 2.06x
Derbyshire 3 0.57x
Gloucestershire 3 0.46x
Wigtownshire 3 6.73x
Essex 2 0.30x
Fife 2 1.01x
Hampshire 2 0.29x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.44x
Cheshire 1 0.14x
Dorset 1 0.45x
Glamorgan 1 0.17x
Northumberland 1 0.20x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oxted in Surrey leads with 24 Canfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 1218.27x.

Place Total Index
Oxted 24 1218.27x
Limpsfield 15 961.54x
Croydon 14 15.43x
Chiswick 12 65.43x
Godstone 10 341.30x
St Pancras London 10 3.70x
Aston 9 1363.64x
Standon 9 378.15x
Sundridge 9 471.20x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 11.85x
Bletchingley 7 328.64x
Liverpool 7 2.89x
Slaugham 7 382.51x
Westerham 7 265.15x
Ashwell 6 329.67x
Chipping Barnet 6 148.15x
Limehouse London 6 16.29x
Rotherhithe 6 14.47x
Shoreditch London 6 4.12x
Chatham 5 15.87x
Dudley 5 9.39x
Kensington London 5 2.68x
Kidderminster Borough 5 19.49x
Kingston On Thames 5 12.73x
Lambeth 5 1.71x
Lewisham 5 8.19x
Trevethin 5 21.82x
Ashton Under Lyne 4 4.60x
Dalserf 4 36.93x
Great Bolton 4 7.58x
Hackney London 4 2.13x
Orpington 4 113.96x
Rochester St Margaret 4 33.14x
Wandsworth 4 12.38x
Westminster St John 4 9.79x
Cheriton 3 64.24x
Tonbridge 3 7.27x
Westminster St Margaret 3 18.53x
Whitworth 3 41.04x
Beckenham 2 13.36x
Bulwell 2 20.35x
Burntisland 2 36.04x
Bury 2 4.40x
Chelsea London 2 1.98x
Deptford St Paul 2 2.27x
Egglescliffe 2 266.67x
Foots Cray 2 91.32x
Islington London 2 0.61x
Keston 2 235.29x
Newbury 2 24.78x
Scarborough 2 6.62x
St Luke London 2 3.72x
St Marylebone London 2 1.12x
Stoneykirk 2 62.70x
Uckfield 2 80.97x
Wombwell 2 20.62x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 1 8.80x
Bolney 1 108.70x
Bolsover 1 38.02x
Camberwell 1 0.47x
Chelford 1 277.78x
Chipping Barnet 1 113.64x
Clifton 1 3.01x
Elswick 1 2.51x
Folkestone 1 4.50x
Govan 1 0.37x
Grove 1 156.25x
Kingsclere 1 31.85x
Merton 1 34.97x
Millbrook 1 5.77x
Paddington London 1 0.81x
Poplar London 1 1.58x
Portland 1 8.45x
Seaford 1 52.08x
Spotland 1 2.26x
Staveley 1 10.72x
Stevenage 1 27.86x
Stoke Newington London 1 3.83x
Toxteth Park 1 0.74x
Whittington 1 13.76x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 21
Sarah 14
Jane 10
Hannah 8
Elizabeth 7
Edith 6
Ellen 6
Emily 6
Alice 5
Louisa 5
Ann 4
Annie 4
Catherine 4
Eliza 4
Emma 4
Bertha 3
Caroline 3
Fanny 3
Frances 3
Minnie 3
Ada 2
Anne 2
Augusta 2
Bridget 2
Harriett 2
Kate 2
Martha 2
May 2
Phoebe 2
Rosina 2
Susan 2
Agnes 1
Bessie 1
Betsy 1
Bettsey 1
Clara 1
Ethel 1
Felia 1
Flora 1
Florence 1
Henrietta 1
Honora 1
Infant 1
Johanna 1
Keziah 1
Lavinia 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Marianna 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Canfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Canfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 355 people were recorded with the Canfield surname. That placed it at #8,679 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Canfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 433 in 2016. That gives Canfield a modern rank of #11,120.

What does the Canfield surname mean?

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "open field frequented by canes or reeds."

What does the Canfield map show?

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