NameCensus.

UK surname

Critchfield

Derived from a place name meaning "field frequented by crows" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 80 people recorded with the Critchfield surname, ranking it #22,225 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 92, ranked #32,035, down from #22,225 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Goring. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wealden, Haringey and Ealing.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Critchfield is 111 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.0%.

1881 census count

80

Ranked #22,225

Modern count

92

2016, ranked #32,035

Peak year

2011

111 bearers

Map years

3

1891 to 1998

Key insights

  • Critchfield had 80 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,225 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 92 in 2016, ranked #32,035.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 108 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Critchfield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Critchfield surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Critchfield 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 93 #17,946
1861 historical 95 #21,768
1881 historical 80 #22,225
1891 historical 105 #23,241
1901 historical 96 #23,342
1911 historical 108 #21,736
1997 modern 104 #26,351
1998 modern 109 #26,273
1999 modern 107 #26,754
2000 modern 110 #26,248
2001 modern 105 #26,620
2002 modern 103 #27,443
2003 modern 100 #27,722
2004 modern 98 #28,297
2005 modern 95 #28,817
2006 modern 98 #28,621
2007 modern 108 #27,391
2008 modern 107 #27,844
2009 modern 110 #27,991
2010 modern 107 #29,153
2011 modern 111 #28,294
2012 modern 104 #29,543
2013 modern 100 #30,773
2014 modern 97 #31,518
2015 modern 100 #31,005
2016 modern 92 #32,035

Geography

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Where Critchfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Goring and St Matthew Bethnal Green. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wealden, Haringey, Ealing, Kensington and Chelsea and Sutton. 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 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Goring Berkshire
5 St Matthew Bethnal Green London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wealden 021 Wealden
2 Haringey 014 Haringey
3 Ealing 009 Ealing
4 Kensington and Chelsea 004 Kensington and Chelsea
5 Sutton 024 Sutton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Critchfield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Critchfield

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Critchfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Critchfield household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Critchfield is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Critchfield is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Critchfield 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 Critchfield 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 Critchfield, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Critchfield

The surname Critchfield has its origins in England, likely emerging in the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from a place name such as Critchill or Crichel, which were small villages or hamlets in Dorset and Somerset. The name is thought to come from the Old English words "cric" or "crič," meaning a small creek or stream, and "hyll" or "hill," meaning a hill or elevated ground.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Dorset in 1327, where a John de Crichull is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of Wiltshire from 1273 also reference a Robert de Crichel. These early spellings, such as Crichull and Crichel, reflect the evolution of the name from its Old English roots.

In the 16th century, the surname appears in various records with slightly different spellings, including Critchfield, Critchfeild, and Critchfyld. One notable individual from this period was William Critchfield, born around 1530 in Dorset, who was a yeoman farmer and landowner.

The Critchfield surname is also associated with several notable figures throughout history. In the 17th century, John Critchfield (1615-1685) was an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Shalfleet on the Isle of Wight. Another individual of note was Richard Critchfield (1738-1821), a prominent American Revolutionary War soldier and politician from Virginia.

Moving into the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname continued to be found across England, with concentrations in areas like Dorset, Somerset, and Wiltshire. One notable individual from this era was George Critchfield (1823-1891), a British businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Birmingham.

Lastly, in the late 19th century, Thomas Critchfield (1856-1924) was an English-born American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the former headquarters of the United States Rubber Company.

While the Critchfield surname has its roots in specific regions of England, it has since spread across the globe, with descendants found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Critchfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Critchfield 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. Middlesex leads with 34 Critchfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.36x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 34 4.36x
Berkshire 17 29.03x
Oxfordshire 11 22.83x
Surrey 10 2.63x
Norfolk 5 4.17x
Essex 1 0.65x
Hampshire 1 0.63x
Sussex 1 0.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Goring in Oxfordshire leads with 11 Critchfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 3928.57x.

Place Total Index
Goring 11 3928.57x
Bethnal Green London 7 20.65x
Chelsea London 7 29.77x
Sonning 7 1076.92x
Bermondsey 5 21.52x
Norwich St George Tombland 5 2380.95x
Shoreditch London 5 14.78x
St Andrew Holborn London 4 118.34x
Whitchurch 4 1666.67x
Battersea 3 10.45x
Clerkenwell London 3 16.29x
Paddington London 3 10.46x
Hackney London 2 4.57x
Reading St Giles 2 34.78x
Reading St Lawrence 2 160.00x
Richmond 2 37.52x
St George Hanover Square 2 14.55x
Aldershot 1 18.66x
Bradfield 1 322.58x
Ore 1 102.04x
Reading St Mary 1 21.32x
St Pancras London 1 1.59x
West Ham 1 2.94x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Elizabeth 4
Caroline 3
Ada 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Hannah 2
Julia 2
A...lli 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Charles 1
Charlotte 1
Edith 1
Elizath. 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Frances 1
Janey 1
Jemima 1
Martha 1
Rose 1
Rosina 1
Ruth 1
Sarah 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
James 5
George 4
Henry 3
John 3
Alfred 2
Thomas 2
Cesare 1
Charles 1
Edgar 1
Frederick 1
Job 1
Raffaille 1
Samuel 1
W. 1
Washington 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Critchfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Critchfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 80 people were recorded with the Critchfield surname. That placed it at #22,225 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Critchfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 92 in 2016. That gives Critchfield a modern rank of #32,035.

What does the Critchfield surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "field frequented by crows" in Old English.

What does the Critchfield map show?

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