NameCensus.

UK surname

Chatfield

From an English place name meaning "field of chattering birds" or "field of jackdaws."

In the 1881 census there were 1,445 people recorded with the Chatfield surname, ranking it #2,881 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,006, ranked #3,212, down from #2,881 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough and Brighton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Staffordshire, Guildford and Derbyshire Dales.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Chatfield is 2,217 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.8%.

1881 census count

1,445

Ranked #2,881

Modern count

2,006

2016, ranked #3,212

Peak year

1999

2,217 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Chatfield had 1,445 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,881 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,006 in 2016, ranked #3,212.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,108 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Chatfield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Chatfield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Chatfield 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 996 #2,809
1861 historical 901 #3,076
1881 historical 1,445 #2,881
1891 historical 1,557 #2,846
1901 historical 1,834 #2,868
1911 historical 2,108 #2,375
1997 modern 2,044 #3,006
1998 modern 2,200 #2,918
1999 modern 2,217 #2,925
2000 modern 2,152 #2,980
2001 modern 2,099 #2,983
2002 modern 2,129 #3,010
2003 modern 2,031 #3,077
2004 modern 2,064 #3,038
2005 modern 2,017 #3,064
2006 modern 2,001 #3,095
2007 modern 2,010 #3,117
2008 modern 2,011 #3,136
2009 modern 2,032 #3,173
2010 modern 2,043 #3,213
2011 modern 2,000 #3,234
2012 modern 2,003 #3,194
2013 modern 2,003 #3,239
2014 modern 2,041 #3,214
2015 modern 2,012 #3,221
2016 modern 2,006 #3,212

Geography

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Where Chatfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Staffordshire, Guildford, Derbyshire Dales and Tonbridge and Malling. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 Brighton Sussex
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Staffordshire 002 East Staffordshire
2 East Staffordshire 003 East Staffordshire
3 Guildford 012 Guildford
4 Derbyshire Dales 003 Derbyshire Dales
5 Tonbridge and Malling 011 Tonbridge and Malling

Forenames

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First names often paired with Chatfield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Chatfield

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Chatfield, 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 Chatfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Chatfield 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Chatfield is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Chatfield is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

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

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Chatfield falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Chatfield 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 Chatfield, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Chatfield

The surname CHATFIELD originated from the Old English words "ceat" meaning cottager or low-class freeman, and "feld" meaning field or clearing. It was an occupational name that referred to someone who lived in a cottage on a field or clearing in the countryside.

The name is believed to have first appeared in the county of Cheshire, England, during the Anglo-Saxon period, sometime between the 5th and 11th centuries. Early variations of the spelling included Ceatfeld, Chetfeld, and Chetfeild.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name CHATFIELD can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name was listed as "Ceatfeld" in the county of Cheshire.

In the 13th century, a John de Chetfeld was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1230. The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer.

During the 14th century, the surname CHATFIELD began to spread beyond Cheshire to other parts of England, such as Oxfordshire and Staffordshire. In the Staffordshire Assize Rolls of 1349, a Richard de Chetfeild was mentioned.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname CHATFIELD was Sir Robert Chatfield (c. 1440 - 1506), a English landowner and member of Parliament for Bedfordshire during the reigns of Edward IV and Henry VII.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname CHATFIELD was William Chatfield (c. 1530 - 1599), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Gloucester from 1589 until his death.

Another prominent individual with the surname was Sir Henry Chatfield (1618 - 1692), an English lawyer and politician who served as the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer from 1685 to 1692.

In the 18th century, John Chatfield (1725 - 1797) was an English antiquarian and writer who authored several works on the history and topography of Hertfordshire.

During the 19th century, Admiral Alfred John Chatfield (1847 - 1918) was a notable British naval officer who served as the Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel from 1911 to 1914.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Chatfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Chatfield 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. Sussex leads with 631 Chatfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.57x.

County Total Index
Sussex 631 26.57x
Kent 160 3.33x
Staffordshire 152 3.20x
Surrey 125 1.82x
Middlesex 105 0.75x
Hampshire 59 2.04x
Warwickshire 40 1.13x
Lancashire 35 0.21x
Cheshire 22 0.71x
Devon 16 0.55x
Derbyshire 15 0.68x
Yorkshire 15 0.11x
Worcestershire 10 0.54x
Northamptonshire 9 0.68x
Shropshire 8 0.66x
Essex 7 0.25x
Suffolk 5 0.29x
Wiltshire 5 0.40x
Durham 4 0.10x
Herefordshire 4 0.69x
Cumberland 2 0.16x
Lanarkshire 2 0.04x
Leicestershire 2 0.13x
Ayrshire 1 0.09x
Berkshire 1 0.09x
Channel Islands 1 0.24x
Cornwall 1 0.06x
Dorset 1 0.11x
Glamorgan 1 0.04x
Midlothian 1 0.05x
Norfolk 1 0.05x
Oxfordshire 1 0.12x
Royal Navy 1 0.60x
Somerset 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 95 Chatfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.83x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 95 19.83x
Tonbridge 70 40.38x
Uttoxeter 57 234.18x
Eastbourne 32 29.28x
Pulborough 32 366.97x
Birmingham 30 2.53x
Fletching 24 225.78x
Hove 24 23.03x
Stoke Upon Trent 23 4.56x
Maresfield 22 219.78x
Chailey 21 285.33x
Cuckfield 21 87.54x
Hurstpierpoint 21 158.85x
Battersea 18 3.47x
Broadwater 18 33.04x
Patcham 18 422.54x
Burton Upon Trent 17 15.28x
Bermondsey 16 3.82x
Beckenham 15 23.87x
Croydon 15 3.94x
Alverstoke 14 13.40x
Camberwell 14 1.56x
Deptford St Paul 14 3.78x
Sevenoaks 14 35.93x
Hackney London 13 1.65x
Horsham 13 28.18x
Keymer 13 77.52x
Mile End Old Town London 13 4.34x
Portsea 13 2.30x
Southampton St Mary 13 7.16x
East Grinstead 12 35.69x
Hammersmith London 12 3.46x
Stafford St Mary 12 17.83x
Stoke Damerel 12 5.85x
Lindfield 11 109.56x
Ditchling 10 154.56x
East Chiltington 10 500.00x
Hastings St Clement 10 44.74x
Lewes St Ann 10 123.61x
Stoke Newington London 10 9.11x
West Chiltington 10 324.68x
Binsted 9 1384.62x
Bodiam 9 576.92x
Hastings All Sts 9 40.21x
Northampton Priory St 9 11.32x
Rustington 9 517.24x
Sutton 9 18.12x
Ardingly 8 105.96x
Brightside Bierlow 8 2.92x
Hulme 8 2.29x
Kensington London 8 1.02x
Shrewsbury Holy Cross 8 59.52x
Westbourne 8 67.68x
Bethnal Green London 7 1.14x
Carshalton 7 26.66x
Hastings St Andrew 7 82.26x
Hook Malden 7 254.55x
Preston 7 16.88x
Southwick 7 55.73x
St Marylebone London 7 0.93x
Subdeanery 7 38.85x
Worth 7 40.60x
Aston 6 0.61x
Bury 6 240.96x
Cheam 6 81.74x
Hastings Holy Trinity 6 34.29x
Idridgehay Alton 6 512.82x
Lambeth 6 0.49x
Newick 6 114.94x
Uckfield 6 57.97x
Wavertree 6 11.22x
Westmeston 6 382.17x
Wolstanton 6 4.15x
Bishopstoke 5 67.48x
Bromley London 5 1.61x
Bromsgrove 5 8.08x
Fisherton Anger 5 21.68x
Monks Coppenhall 5 4.26x
Rotherfield 5 23.91x
Waldron 5 77.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 84
John 69
George 46
Thomas 46
Alfred 43
Charles 41
Henry 41
James 36
Albert 22
Arthur 21
Walter 16
Edward 15
Frederick 15
Richard 15
Joseph 13
Herbert 12
Robert 10
Benjamin 9
Edwin 9
Ernest 8
Frank 8
Harry 8
Samuel 6
Fredk. 5
Reuben 5
Josiah 4
Allen 3
Amos 3
David 3
Edmund 3
Francis 3
Leonard 3
Michael 3
Rowland 3
Edwd. 2
Eli 2
Horace 2
Jesse 2
Owen 2
Peter 2
Spencer 2
Thos. 2
Tom 2
Alburt 1
Ben 1
Chas. 1
Chas.Henry 1
Christopher 1
Clifford 1
Earnest 1

FAQ

Chatfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Chatfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,445 people were recorded with the Chatfield surname. That placed it at #2,881 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Chatfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,006 in 2016. That gives Chatfield a modern rank of #3,212.

What does the Chatfield surname mean?

From an English place name meaning "field of chattering birds" or "field of jackdaws."

What does the Chatfield map show?

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