NameCensus.

UK surname

Coffield

A locational surname for someone from a place with open fields or pastureland.

In the 1881 census there were 102 people recorded with the Coffield surname, ranking it #19,518 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 300, ranked #14,738, up from #19,518 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bothwell, London parishes and Campbelltown. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Campbeltown, Highland and Cairnhill.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Coffield is 300 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 194.1%.

1881 census count

102

Ranked #19,518

Modern count

300

2016, ranked #14,738

Peak year

2010

300 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Coffield had 102 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,518 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 300 in 2016, ranked #14,738.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 167 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Coffield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Coffield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Coffield 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 52 #23,915
1861 historical 69 #25,057
1881 historical 102 #19,518
1891 historical 127 #20,496
1901 historical 167 #16,943
1911 historical 68 #26,050
1997 modern 243 #15,556
1998 modern 266 #15,053
1999 modern 264 #15,223
2000 modern 289 #14,272
2001 modern 283 #14,247
2002 modern 290 #14,314
2003 modern 271 #14,787
2004 modern 279 #14,578
2005 modern 290 #14,140
2006 modern 281 #14,500
2007 modern 292 #14,313
2008 modern 293 #14,364
2009 modern 297 #14,519
2010 modern 300 #14,730
2011 modern 289 #14,974
2012 modern 283 #15,115
2013 modern 282 #15,441
2014 modern 291 #15,168
2015 modern 294 #14,971
2016 modern 300 #14,738

Geography

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Where Coffields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bothwell, London parishes, Campbelltown, Glasgow and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Campbeltown, Highland, Cairnhill, Birniehill, Kelvin and Whitehills East and Coatbridge West. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bothwell Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 Campbelltown Argyll
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Campbeltown Argyll and Bute
2 Highland Stirling
3 Cairnhill North Lanarkshire
4 Birniehill, Kelvin and Whitehills East South Lanarkshire
5 Coatbridge West North Lanarkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Coffield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Coffield

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Coffield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Coffield household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Coffield is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Coffield is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Coffield falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Coffield

The surname Coffield is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "cofe" meaning a small room or chamber, and "feld" meaning a field or open land. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a small dwelling or hut in an open field or pasture.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Coffield can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it is listed as "Couefeld." This shows that the spelling has evolved over time, with variations like "Covefelde" and "Covfelde" also appearing in historical records from the 14th and 15th centuries.

During the Middle Ages, the name Coffield was found primarily in the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Warwickshire. It is possible that the name was originally associated with a specific place or location, as was common with many surnames during that era. However, there is no definitive evidence linking the name to a particular place name or manor.

Notable individuals with the surname Coffield include Sir John Coffield, a 16th-century English merchant and landowner who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1594. Another prominent figure was William Coffield (1625-1688), a Puritan minister and author who wrote several religious treatises.

In the 18th century, John Coffield (1737-1808) was a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. He achieved the rank of Admiral and was knighted for his military service.

Moving into the 19th century, Edward Coffield (1804-1879) was an English architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings and railway structures in London and the surrounding areas.

One of the more recent historically significant individuals with the surname Coffield was Mary Coffield (1908-1992), an American social worker and civil rights activist who advocated for equal opportunities and desegregation in the United States.

While the surname Coffield is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to medieval England. The name's evolution and various spellings reflect its long-standing presence in the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Coffield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Coffield 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. Lanarkshire leads with 42 Coffields recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.06x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 42 13.06x
Lancashire 17 1.44x
Middlesex 13 1.31x
Surrey 11 2.27x
Argyllshire 9 32.50x
Durham 4 1.35x
Angus 3 3.26x
Warwickshire 2 0.80x
Derbyshire 1 0.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Old Monkland in Lanarkshire leads with 16 Coffields recorded in 1881 and an index of 125.29x.

Place Total Index
Old Monkland 16 125.29x
Newington 11 29.93x
Barony 9 11.05x
Shoreditch London 8 18.55x
Bothwell 7 80.28x
Kirkdale 7 35.25x
Campbeltown 6 179.64x
Liverpool 6 8.37x
Glasgow 5 8.75x
Govan 5 6.28x
Denton 4 13333.33x
Didsbury 3 191.08x
Islington London 3 3.11x
Liff Benvie 3 21.44x
Birmingham 2 2.39x
Southend 2 606.06x
Ardchattan Muckairn 1 147.06x
Bethnal Green London 1 2.31x
Burnley 1 10.06x
Chesterfield 1 17.12x
Mile End Old Town London 1 4.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Elizabeth 4
Alice 2
Catherine 2
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Annie 1
Cathe. 1
Charlotte 1
Hanor 1
Harriett 1
Kate 1
Martha 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
William 3
Charles 2
Henry 2
Mintiam 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Charley 1
Edw. 1
Edward 1
George 1
Joseph 1
Thos. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Coffield households.

FAQ

Coffield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Coffield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 102 people were recorded with the Coffield surname. That placed it at #19,518 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Coffield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 300 in 2016. That gives Coffield a modern rank of #14,738.

What does the Coffield surname mean?

A locational surname for someone from a place with open fields or pastureland.

What does the Coffield map show?

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