NameCensus.

UK surname

Cranfield

A locational name derived from a place in Bedfordshire, England, meaning "open field of cranes or herons".

In the 1881 census there were 734 people recorded with the Cranfield surname, ranking it #4,986 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,052, ranked #5,543, down from #4,986 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fingringhoe, East Donyland, Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Colchester, Reigate and Banstead and Dover.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cranfield is 1,093 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.3%.

1881 census count

734

Ranked #4,986

Modern count

1,052

2016, ranked #5,543

Peak year

2010

1,093 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cranfield had 734 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,986 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,052 in 2016, ranked #5,543.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,008 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Cranfield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cranfield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cranfield 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 500 #5,001
1861 historical 460 #5,647
1881 historical 734 #4,986
1891 historical 835 #4,876
1901 historical 893 #5,177
1911 historical 1,008 #4,514
1997 modern 1,032 #5,346
1998 modern 1,075 #5,358
1999 modern 1,089 #5,329
2000 modern 1,085 #5,322
2001 modern 1,057 #5,337
2002 modern 1,071 #5,390
2003 modern 1,061 #5,334
2004 modern 1,051 #5,381
2005 modern 1,026 #5,434
2006 modern 1,029 #5,432
2007 modern 1,022 #5,514
2008 modern 1,057 #5,396
2009 modern 1,070 #5,447
2010 modern 1,093 #5,470
2011 modern 1,090 #5,420
2012 modern 1,062 #5,444
2013 modern 1,054 #5,581
2014 modern 1,058 #5,595
2015 modern 1,044 #5,603
2016 modern 1,052 #5,543

Geography

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Where Cranfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fingringhoe, East Donyland, Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth, London parishes, Lambeth and Ilminster. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Colchester, Reigate and Banstead, Dover and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 Fingringhoe, East Donyland Essex
2 Coveney, Manea, Mepal, Downham, Witcham, Witchford, Wentworth Cambridgeshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Ilminster Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Colchester 008 Colchester
2 Reigate and Banstead 009 Reigate and Banstead
3 Dover 002 Dover
4 Colchester 016 Colchester
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 015 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cranfield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cranfield

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Cranfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Cranfield household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Cranfield 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

Cranfield is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cranfield falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cranfield

The surname Cranfield originated in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is a locational surname derived from the village of Cranfield in Bedfordshire. The name Cranfield itself comes from the Old English words "cran" meaning crane and "feld" meaning field, likely referring to a field where cranes were commonly found.

One of the earliest recorded references to the Cranfield surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a Hugo de Cranfeld from Bedfordshire. The name also appears in the Placita de Quo Warranto records from 1292, listing a William de Cranfeld.

In the 14th century, records show a John de Cranfeld who was a chaplain to Edward III and later became the Archdeacon of Stow in Lincolnshire in 1349. Another notable Cranfield from this period was Sir John Cranfield, who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1349-1350.

During the 16th century, the Cranfield surname gained prominence with Sir Lionel Cranfield (1575-1645), a wealthy merchant and financier who rose to become the Lord Treasurer of England under King James I. He was later created the 1st Earl of Middlesex in 1622.

In the 17th century, James Cranfield (1592-1657) was an English Puritan clergyman and author, known for his work "The Profitableness of the Holy Scriptures" published in 1648.

Another notable figure with the Cranfield surname was Rachel Cranfield (1670-1758), a prominent Quaker preacher and writer from Yorkshire.

Other individuals of note with the Cranfield surname include John Cranfield (1823-1904), an English landscape painter, and Sir Frederick Cranfield (1862-1932), a British industrialist and Member of Parliament.

While the Cranfield surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration to countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cranfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cranfield 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. Essex leads with 160 Cranfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.32x.

County Total Index
Essex 160 11.32x
Middlesex 108 1.51x
Surrey 97 2.78x
Cambridgeshire 88 19.40x
Kent 50 2.05x
Bedfordshire 39 10.52x
Lincolnshire 29 2.53x
Suffolk 22 2.52x
Warwickshire 21 1.16x
Lancashire 16 0.19x
Huntingdonshire 15 10.55x
Somerset 14 1.21x
Norfolk 10 0.91x
Northamptonshire 9 1.34x
Oxfordshire 9 2.04x
Hampshire 8 0.55x
Yorkshire 7 0.10x
Staffordshire 6 0.25x
Caernarfonshire 5 1.73x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.31x
Durham 2 0.09x
Gloucestershire 2 0.14x
Hertfordshire 2 0.41x
Renfrewshire 2 0.36x
Sussex 2 0.17x
Berkshire 1 0.19x
Clackmannanshire 1 1.69x
Derbyshire 1 0.09x
Dorset 1 0.21x
Herefordshire 1 0.34x
Lanarkshire 1 0.04x
Northumberland 1 0.09x
Wiltshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. East Donyland in Essex leads with 39 Cranfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 1147.06x.

Place Total Index
East Donyland 39 1147.06x
Lambeth 31 4.97x
Camberwell 20 4.37x
Burnham 19 363.98x
Girton 16 1344.54x
Grantham 16 107.24x
St Andrewthe Less 16 30.88x
Gestingthorpe 15 949.37x
Downham 14 290.46x
Ilminster 13 161.49x
Lewisham 13 9.98x
Southwark St George Martyr 13 9.02x
Shoreditch London 12 3.87x
St Pancras London 12 2.08x
Halstead 11 66.71x
Southill 11 366.67x
Belchamp Otten 10 1219.51x
Bermondsey 10 4.69x
Rugby 10 40.93x
West Ham 10 3.20x
Brenenden 9 286.62x
Henley On Thames 9 99.34x
Poplar London 9 6.66x
Enfield 8 17.03x
Hackney London 8 1.99x
Islington London 8 1.15x
Manea 8 279.72x
Peterborough 8 16.41x
Colchester St James 7 122.16x
Halesworth 7 113.27x
Luton 7 10.91x
Manchester 7 1.83x
South Stoneham 7 21.99x
Woolwich 7 7.76x
Copford 6 370.37x
Eltisley 6 526.32x
Gedney 6 128.48x
Bangor 5 17.91x
Battersea 5 1.90x
Birmingham 5 0.83x
Chatteris 5 43.22x
Clayton 5 28.80x
Deptford St Paul 5 2.65x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 5 25.28x
Fulham London 5 4.82x
Holywell Cum Needingworth 5 280.90x
Long Lawford 5 297.62x
Paglesham 5 396.83x
Rotherhithe 5 5.65x
Southwark Christchurch 5 14.90x
Southwark St Saviour 5 13.59x
St Giles Cambridge 5 85.32x
Terrington St Clement 5 100.60x
Acton 4 9.53x
Alphamstone 4 655.74x
Belchamp Walter 4 264.90x
Buckden 4 156.25x
Burwell 4 73.66x
Hundon 4 184.33x
Newton 4 6.11x
Pinchbeck 4 54.50x
St George In East London 4 5.94x
Sudbury All Sts 4 150.38x
Tottenham 4 3.51x
Wisbech St Peter 4 17.59x
Witham 4 54.95x
Biggleswade 3 24.71x
Birch 3 129.31x
Burton Upon Trent 3 5.31x
Canewdon 3 170.45x
Chester All Sts 3 265.49x
Eaton Socon 3 51.55x
Elstow 3 218.98x
Erith 3 12.46x
Great Staughton 3 108.70x
Leyton 3 12.33x
Newington 3 1.13x
Poulton Barre 3 31.02x
Roxton 3 222.22x
Stanford Le Hope 3 147.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 54
John 41
James 29
George 22
Charles 19
Thomas 18
Arthur 11
Walter 11
Harry 10
Henry 10
Alfred 8
Edward 8
Robert 6
Herbert 5
Isaac 5
Samuel 5
Benjamin 4
Ernest 4
Wm. 4
Frederick 3
Jonathan 3
Percy 3
Richard 3
Stephen 3
Christopher 2
Edwin 2
Eli 2
Frank 2
Jesee 2
Lemon 2
Amos 1
Beaumont 1
Chas. 1
Cornelius 1
E. 1
E.A. 1
Emery 1
Ezra 1
F. 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Fredk.Charles 1
Gill 1
Issac 1
J. 1
Jas. 1
Jim 1
Jno. 1
Joseph 1

FAQ

Cranfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cranfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 734 people were recorded with the Cranfield surname. That placed it at #4,986 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cranfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,052 in 2016. That gives Cranfield a modern rank of #5,543.

What does the Cranfield surname mean?

A locational name derived from a place in Bedfordshire, England, meaning "open field of cranes or herons".

What does the Cranfield map show?

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