NameCensus.

UK surname

Fieldson

An English surname derived from an occupational term referring to someone who lived or worked in a field.

In the 1881 census there were 35 people recorded with the Fieldson surname, ranking it #28,715 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 115, ranked #28,348, up from #28,715 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Willoughton, London parishes and Auckland St Andrew. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham and West Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fieldson is 121 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 228.6%.

1881 census count

35

Ranked #28,715

Modern count

115

2016, ranked #28,348

Peak year

2013

121 bearers

Map years

3

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fieldson had 35 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,715 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016, ranked #28,348.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 108 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Fieldson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fieldson surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fieldson 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 57 #23,092
1861 historical 108 #19,856
1881 historical 35 #28,715
1891 historical 69 #28,188
1901 historical 66 #26,794
1911 historical 72 #25,642
1997 modern 99 #27,039
1998 modern 107 #26,555
1999 modern 106 #26,885
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 101 #27,766
2003 modern 106 #26,775
2004 modern 113 #25,999
2005 modern 95 #28,817
2006 modern 98 #28,621
2007 modern 106 #27,722
2008 modern 101 #28,825
2009 modern 107 #28,483
2010 modern 103 #29,780
2011 modern 106 #29,157
2012 modern 113 #28,016
2013 modern 121 #27,255
2014 modern 121 #27,503
2015 modern 111 #28,986
2016 modern 115 #28,348

Geography

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Where Fieldsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Willoughton, London parishes, Auckland St Andrew, Middle Rasen, Buslingthorpe and Rochdale. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham and West Lindsey. 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 Willoughton Lincolnshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Auckland St Andrew Durham
4 Middle Rasen, Buslingthorpe Lincolnshire
5 Rochdale Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 059 County Durham
2 County Durham 058 County Durham
3 West Lindsey 005 West Lindsey
4 County Durham 055 County Durham
5 West Lindsey 009 West Lindsey

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fieldson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fieldson

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Fieldson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Fieldson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Fieldson is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Fieldson 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

Fieldson 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 Fieldson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Fieldson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Fieldson

The surname Fieldson is of English origin, emerging during the late medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the Old English words "feld" meaning field and "sonu" meaning son. Individuals and families that bore this name likely resided near or worked on open fields, pastures, or agricultural lands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Fieldson surname dates back to the 13th century in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where a William Feldeson is mentioned. This suggests the name was present in southern England during this time.

The Fieldson name can also be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, indicating its presence in the northern counties as well. Variations in spelling, such as Feildsone and Feildeson, were common during this era.

Notably, the Fieldson surname appears in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings and population surveys commissioned by William the Conqueror. This reinforces the name's deep Anglo-Saxon roots.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals bore the Fieldson surname. One example is Sir Robert Fieldson (1592-1668), a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of Charles II.

Another prominent figure was Thomas Fieldson (1718-1796), a renowned English architect known for designing several churches and country estates in the Georgian style, including the iconic Fieldson Manor in Derbyshire.

In the literary world, the name gained recognition through the works of Elizabeth Fieldson (1843-1912), a respected novelist and poet whose works explored themes of social justice and women's rights.

During the 18th century, the Fieldson family established a foothold in the American colonies, with John Fieldson (1721-1798) being one of the earliest recorded arrivals. He settled in Virginia and became a prosperous tobacco plantation owner.

Lastly, the name was carried to Australia during the 19th century, with James Fieldson (1836-1912) being among the first settlers to establish a farm in the fertile Riverina region of New South Wales.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fieldson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fieldson 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. Lincolnshire leads with 19 Fieldsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 34.82x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 19 34.82x
Middlesex 11 3.22x
Essex 2 2.97x
Norfolk 1 1.91x
Nottinghamshire 1 2.17x
Yorkshire 1 0.30x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Spitalfields London in Middlesex leads with 10 Fieldsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 389.11x.

Place Total Index
Spitalfields London 10 389.11x
Redbourne 5 12500.00x
Waddingham 5 6250.00x
St Martin Lincoln 3 588.24x
West Ham 2 13.45x
Willingham 2 4000.00x
Cottingham 1 136.99x
Gainsborough 1 77.52x
Heigham 1 35.46x
Laceby 1 833.33x
Mile End Old Town London 1 13.77x
Saxby In Lincoln 1 10000.00x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 1 129.87x
Torworth 1 3333.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 3
Ann 2
Annie 2
Hannah 2
Lucy 2
Mary 2
Alice 1
Elizath. 1
Louise 1
Maria 1
Mathar 1
Minnie 1
Phoebe 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 3
David 2
Fred 1
Freddy 1
Frederick 1
Fredick 1
Fredrick 1
George 1
Henry 1
Tom 1
William 1
Willm. 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 Fieldson households.

FAQ

Fieldson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fieldson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 35 people were recorded with the Fieldson surname. That placed it at #28,715 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fieldson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016. That gives Fieldson a modern rank of #28,348.

What does the Fieldson surname mean?

An English surname derived from an occupational term referring to someone who lived or worked in a field.

What does the Fieldson map show?

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