NameCensus.

UK surname

Dransfield

A topographic surname derived from a place named with the Old English elements 'dran' meaning drone or hum and 'feld' meaning field.

In the 1881 census there were 1,059 people recorded with the Dransfield surname, ranking it #3,720 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,156, ranked #5,105, down from #3,720 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkheaton, Batley and Almondbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sheffield, Oldham and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dransfield is 1,606 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9.2%.

1881 census count

1,059

Ranked #3,720

Modern count

1,156

2016, ranked #5,105

Peak year

1911

1,606 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dransfield had 1,059 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,720 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,156 in 2016, ranked #5,105.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,606 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Dransfield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dransfield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dransfield 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 664 #3,909
1861 historical 697 #3,879
1881 historical 1,059 #3,720
1891 historical 1,208 #3,551
1901 historical 1,496 #3,427
1911 historical 1,606 #3,025
1997 modern 1,249 #4,559
1998 modern 1,270 #4,666
1999 modern 1,281 #4,658
2000 modern 1,278 #4,649
2001 modern 1,226 #4,719
2002 modern 1,246 #4,740
2003 modern 1,202 #4,803
2004 modern 1,192 #4,834
2005 modern 1,188 #4,809
2006 modern 1,195 #4,789
2007 modern 1,188 #4,849
2008 modern 1,176 #4,919
2009 modern 1,202 #4,934
2010 modern 1,214 #4,991
2011 modern 1,203 #4,960
2012 modern 1,201 #4,911
2013 modern 1,217 #4,930
2014 modern 1,223 #4,938
2015 modern 1,182 #5,039
2016 modern 1,156 #5,105

Geography

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Where Dransfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkheaton, Batley, Almondbury, Sheffield and Rochdale. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sheffield, Oldham, Kirklees and Wakefield. 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 Kirkheaton Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Almondbury Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Rochdale Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sheffield 001 Sheffield
2 Sheffield 003 Sheffield
3 Oldham 020 Oldham
4 Kirklees 004 Kirklees
5 Wakefield 029 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dransfield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dransfield

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Dransfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Dransfield household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Dransfield is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dransfield is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dransfield falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dransfield

The surname Dransfield originated in England, likely in the 14th or 15th century. It is a locational name derived from the town of Dransfield in West Yorkshire. The name is believed to come from the Old English words "drenc" meaning drink or pool, and "feld" meaning field or open area, suggesting the name referred to a field near a pool or body of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dransfield appears in the Hearth Tax returns of 1672, where a John Dransfield is listed as a resident of Dransfield in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The name is also found in parish records from the 16th century onwards, with variations in spelling such as Dransfelde and Dransfeild.

In the 17th century, a family of Dransfields owned land and property in the village of Dransfield, and their name can be found in various legal documents and deeds from that time period. One notable member of this family was William Dransfield (1610-1680), who served as the local parish constable and played a role in the governance of the village.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Dransfield name spread beyond the Yorkshire region as families migrated to other parts of England and even overseas to countries like the United States and Canada. One notable individual from this era was John Dransfield (1778-1855), a successful merchant and landowner in Lancashire.

In more recent history, there have been several notable figures with the surname Dransfield, including:

1. Robert Dransfield (1850-1919), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in Manchester and Liverpool. 2. Jane Dransfield (1892-1971), a British artist and painter known for her landscapes and portraits. 3. Michael Dransfield (1948-1973), an Australian poet and writer who was part of the countercultural movement of the 1960s and 1970s. 4. John Dransfield (1945-2005), a British botanist and expert on palm trees, who worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 5. Mark Dransfield (born 1972), a British actor and television presenter, known for his roles in soap operas like Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dransfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dransfield 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. Yorkshire leads with 827 Dransfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.12x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 827 8.12x
Lancashire 184 1.51x
Cheshire 17 0.75x
Northumberland 7 0.46x
Hampshire 6 0.29x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.36x
Lanarkshire 3 0.09x
Kent 2 0.06x
Durham 1 0.03x
Leicestershire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 109 Dransfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.71x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 109 27.71x
Saddleworth 90 114.64x
Mirfield 51 91.27x
Huddersfield 50 33.72x
Soothill 49 133.26x
Ecclesfield 44 58.96x
Ashton Under Lyne 37 13.89x
Batley 33 34.12x
Darton 26 249.28x
Kirkheaton 26 157.48x
Dalton In Huddersfield 23 100.88x
Rotherham 23 40.08x
Dewsbury 22 21.07x
Thurlstone 22 219.12x
Liversedge 19 41.93x
Morley 18 34.01x
Golcar 17 63.17x
Almondbury 16 32.51x
Sheffield 16 4.94x
Kimberworth 15 26.55x
Linthwaite 15 70.13x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 13 50.64x
Lockwood 13 35.50x
Skelmanthorpe 13 118.29x
Slaithwaite 12 113.21x
Worsbrough 12 40.24x
Tankersley 11 144.93x
Dukinfield 10 9.54x
Sandal Magna 10 66.45x
Thurgoland 10 145.56x
Horbury 8 44.92x
Roystone 8 201.01x
Chadderton 7 11.75x
Halifax 7 4.68x
Northowram 7 9.81x
Skipton 7 21.85x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 6 6.33x
Bootle Cum Linacre 6 6.20x
Leeds 6 1.04x
Oxspring 6 487.80x
Ryde 6 13.27x
Tynemouth 6 7.33x
Wakefield 6 7.68x
Wath On Dearne 6 29.54x
Claughton With Grange 5 48.40x
Holy Trinity 5 2.04x
Newark Upon Trent 5 10.05x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 5 13.75x
Penistone 5 62.97x
South Crosland 5 46.64x
Barnsley 4 3.81x
Bradford 4 1.62x
Hoyland Nether 4 16.03x
Meltham 4 25.27x
Salford 4 1.12x
Shitlington 4 37.99x
Skircoat 4 9.97x
Wortley In Wortley 4 100.00x
Ardsley 3 25.58x
Bingley 3 4.63x
Bowling 3 2.98x
Denton 3 11.11x
Elland Cum Greetland 3 6.54x
Govan 3 0.37x
Manchester 3 0.55x
Preston 3 0.92x
Brightside Bierlow 2 1.00x
Bromley 2 3.74x
Gorton 2 1.75x
Hemsworth 2 34.19x
Liverpool 2 0.27x
Mexborough 2 9.90x
Skipwith 2 204.08x
Snaith Cowick 2 32.84x
Tranmere 2 2.40x
West Clayton 2 39.60x
Carleton In Pontefract 1 84.75x
Castleford 1 2.70x
Honley 1 5.61x
Royton 1 2.68x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 66
Sarah 47
Elizabeth 34
Hannah 29
Annie 27
Ann 25
Alice 17
Ellen 17
Emma 16
Eliza 14
Jane 14
Ada 13
Martha 12
Louisa 8
Betty 7
Clara 7
Emily 7
Harriet 7
Betsy 6
Edith 5
Lucy 5
Caroline 4
Catherine 4
Charlotte 4
Fanny 4
Florence 4
Frances 4
Harriett 4
Sophia 4
Laura 3
Maria 3
Selina 3
Amy 2
Anne 2
Annice 2
Annis 2
Eliz. 2
Elizth. 2
Ester 2
Esther 2
Ethel 2
Helena 2
Hilda 2
Isabella 2
Lizzie 2
Margaret 2
Marian 2
Nanny 2
Rachel 2
Ruth 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 58
George 41
William 40
James 36
Thomas 24
Joseph 22
Arthur 12
Albert 11
Frank 11
Fred 11
Henry 11
Walter 11
Alfred 9
Robert 9
Tom 8
Benjamin 7
Charles 7
Harry 7
Joe 7
Samuel 7
Edwin 5
Wm. 5
Edward 4
Frederick 4
Harold 4
Herbert 4
Lewis 4
Richard 4
Ephraim 3
Ernest 3
Francis 3
Geo. 3
Reuben 3
Thos. 3
Alexander 2
Allen 2
Chas. 2
Collin 2
Ellis 2
Fred. 2
Fredk. 2
Jas. 2
Joshua 2
Levi 2
Louis 2
Mathew 2
Percy 2
Saml. 2
Seth 2
Spedding 2

FAQ

Dransfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dransfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,059 people were recorded with the Dransfield surname. That placed it at #3,720 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dransfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,156 in 2016. That gives Dransfield a modern rank of #5,105.

What does the Dransfield surname mean?

A topographic surname derived from a place named with the Old English elements 'dran' meaning drone or hum and 'feld' meaning field.

What does the Dransfield map show?

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