NameCensus.

UK surname

Enfield

A placename surname originating from a town in Middlesex, England.

In the 1881 census there were 183 people recorded with the Enfield surname, ranking it #13,596 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 330, ranked #13,765, down from #13,596 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Portsmouth, Portsea and Loose, East Farleigh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tendring, Winchester and Forest of Dean.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Enfield is 332 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 80.3%.

1881 census count

183

Ranked #13,596

Modern count

330

2016, ranked #13,765

Peak year

2010

332 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Enfield had 183 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,596 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 330 in 2016, ranked #13,765.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 271 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Enfield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Enfield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Enfield 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 120 #15,144
1861 historical 178 #13,202
1881 historical 183 #13,596
1891 historical 227 #13,629
1901 historical 236 #13,616
1911 historical 271 #12,237
1997 modern 301 #13,492
1998 modern 299 #13,908
1999 modern 296 #14,081
2000 modern 293 #14,141
2001 modern 291 #14,000
2002 modern 305 #13,865
2003 modern 290 #14,134
2004 modern 287 #14,286
2005 modern 285 #14,273
2006 modern 286 #14,322
2007 modern 294 #14,241
2008 modern 306 #13,943
2009 modern 316 #13,933
2010 modern 332 #13,745
2011 modern 314 #14,165
2012 modern 314 #14,063
2013 modern 325 #13,924
2014 modern 329 #13,918
2015 modern 321 #14,062
2016 modern 330 #13,765

Geography

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Where Enfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Portsmouth, Portsea, Loose, East Farleigh, Kettering and Maidstone, Linton, Loddington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tendring, Winchester, Forest of Dean, Arun and Doncaster. 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 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
2 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
3 Loose, East Farleigh Kent
4 Kettering Northamptonshire
5 Maidstone, Linton, Loddington Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tendring 003 Tendring
2 Winchester 012 Winchester
3 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean
4 Arun 012 Arun
5 Doncaster 035 Doncaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Enfield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Enfield

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Enfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Enfield household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Enfield is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Enfield is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Enfield falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Enfield

The surname Enfield originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the town of Enfield, which is located in the county of Middlesex, just north of London. The name Enfield is believed to come from the Old English words "ēne," meaning "lamb," and "feld," meaning "field," suggesting that the area was once known for its sheep pastures.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Enfield can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Enefelde." This vital historical record, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides valuable insights into the distribution of surnames and their origins across England at the time.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Ralph de Enfield was recorded as holding land in Enfield. This early use of the surname suggests that it was already well-established by this period. Another early record from 1327 mentions a John de Enfield, who was a merchant and Freeman of the City of London.

During the 15th century, the name Enfield appeared in various forms, such as "Enefelde," "Enefeld," and "Enefelde." One notable individual from this time was Thomas Enfield, a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry in Middlesex, who was born around 1450.

In the 16th century, the spelling of the surname began to stabilize, and it became more commonly written as "Enfield." One prominent figure from this period was Sir Walter Enfield (c. 1520-1585), who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1576.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, several notable individuals bore the surname Enfield. These include Edward Enfield (1623-1692), a Puritan writer and clergyman, and William Enfield (1741-1797), a Presbyterian minister and author of numerous educational works.

In the 19th century, the surname Enfield continued to be associated with individuals of significance. One such person was William Enfield (1832-1921), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Surgeons.

While this overview provides a historical perspective on the surname Enfield, it is important to note that genealogical research and records can offer more detailed insights into individual family histories and the evolution of this surname over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Enfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Enfield 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. Kent leads with 45 Enfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.39x.

County Total Index
Kent 45 7.39x
Essex 23 6.53x
Middlesex 23 1.29x
Northamptonshire 21 12.51x
Huntingdonshire 20 56.43x
Surrey 13 1.49x
Nottinghamshire 9 3.74x
Yorkshire 8 0.45x
Bedfordshire 6 6.49x
Staffordshire 4 0.66x
Sussex 4 1.33x
Hampshire 2 0.55x
Herefordshire 2 2.73x
Lancashire 2 0.09x
Suffolk 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bluntisham in Huntingdonshire leads with 15 Enfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 2272.73x.

Place Total Index
Bluntisham 15 2272.73x
Kettering 14 206.19x
Lambeth 10 6.43x
Fingrinhoe 8 4000.00x
Loose 8 898.88x
St Martin In Fields 8 74.84x
Chatham 7 41.79x
Mile End 7 1093.75x
Nottingham St Mary 7 11.25x
Shoreditch London 7 9.05x
Faversham 6 103.27x
Mereworth 6 1224.49x
Godmanchester 5 373.13x
Luton 5 31.25x
Milton In Gravesend 5 54.76x
Colchester St Giles 4 114.94x
Gravesend 4 77.52x
Brighton 3 4.94x
Irthlingborough 3 181.82x
Netherthong 3 526.32x
Northampton St Sepulchre 3 35.13x
West Bromwich 3 8.70x
Camberwell 2 1.75x
East Donyland 2 235.29x
Gargrave 2 253.16x
Leeds 2 454.55x
Lewisham 2 6.16x
Maidstone 2 11.03x
Nottingham Standard 2 327.87x
Portsea 2 2.79x
Ross 2 68.73x
St Marylebone London 2 2.10x
Westminster St Margaret 2 23.23x
Boxted 1 200.00x
East Peckham 1 79.37x
Fingringhoe 1 769.23x
Frindsbury 1 43.67x
Hastings St Leonards 1 22.62x
Hougham 1 27.62x
Hutton Conyers 1 1250.00x
Kempston 1 47.62x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 70.42x
Old Artillery Ground 1 64.94x
St George Hanover Square 1 3.18x
St Giles In Fields London 1 11.42x
St Pancras London 1 0.70x
Sutton 1 14.08x
Thorndon All Sts 1 256.41x
Wandsworth 1 5.82x
Warrington 1 3.98x
Wellingborough 1 11.85x
Wolverhampton 1 2.16x
York St Maurice 1 30.03x

Top female names

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

Name Count
George 11
John 10
Charles 8
James 8
Joseph 6
William 6
Thomas 5
Edward 4
Samuel 4
Frederick 3
Henry 3
Richard 2
Walter 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
D. 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Jonathan 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Stanley 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Enfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Enfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 183 people were recorded with the Enfield surname. That placed it at #13,596 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Enfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 330 in 2016. That gives Enfield a modern rank of #13,765.

What does the Enfield surname mean?

A placename surname originating from a town in Middlesex, England.

What does the Enfield map show?

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