NameCensus.

UK surname

Hatfield

A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places named Hatfield in England.

In the 1881 census there were 2,132 people recorded with the Hatfield surname, ranking it #2,078 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,081, ranked #2,188, down from #2,078 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Middlesborough and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rotherham, Wakefield and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Hatfield is 3,181 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.5%.

1881 census count

2,132

Ranked #2,078

Modern count

3,081

2016, ranked #2,188

Peak year

2010

3,181 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Hatfield had 2,132 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,078 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,081 in 2016, ranked #2,188.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,847 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Hatfield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Hatfield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Hatfield 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 1,451 #1,983
1861 historical 1,279 #2,230
1881 historical 2,132 #2,078
1891 historical 2,182 #2,144
1901 historical 2,532 #2,170
1911 historical 2,847 #1,834
1997 modern 3,054 #2,102
1998 modern 3,120 #2,150
1999 modern 3,140 #2,156
2000 modern 3,131 #2,147
2001 modern 3,072 #2,140
2002 modern 3,122 #2,154
2003 modern 3,063 #2,143
2004 modern 3,056 #2,147
2005 modern 2,977 #2,175
2006 modern 2,985 #2,173
2007 modern 2,977 #2,189
2008 modern 3,058 #2,153
2009 modern 3,137 #2,155
2010 modern 3,181 #2,177
2011 modern 3,168 #2,155
2012 modern 3,097 #2,158
2013 modern 3,143 #2,168
2014 modern 3,159 #2,173
2015 modern 3,106 #2,178
2016 modern 3,081 #2,188

Geography

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Where Hatfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Middlesborough, Sheffield and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rotherham, Wakefield, East Riding of Yorkshire 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 London parishes London 3
2 Middlesborough Durham
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 London parishes London 2
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rotherham 027 Rotherham
2 Wakefield 039 Wakefield
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 015 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 Doncaster 031 Doncaster
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 024 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Hatfield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Hatfield

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Hatfield 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

Hatfield 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

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

Meaning and origin of Hatfield

The surname Hatfield is an English locational name derived from the place name Hatfield, which itself is composed of the Old English elements 'haet' meaning 'hat' or 'headdress' and 'feld' meaning 'field'. This suggests that the name likely originated from a place where hats or headwear were made or sold.

The name is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Hetfelle' in Yorkshire. This early spelling variation indicates the name's origins in the northern regions of England.

One of the earliest bearers of the name was Robert de Hatfield, who was recorded as a landowner in Yorkshire in the 13th century. The Hatfield family later became prominent in the county of Hertfordshire, where a town also bears their name.

A notable figure was William of Hatfield, who served as the Bishop of Durham from 1345 to 1381. He was a prominent churchman and played a significant role in the political affairs of his time.

Another historically significant bearer of the name was Thomas Hatfield, born in 1423, who was an English bishop and diplomat. He served as the Bishop of Durham from 1457 to 1459 and was a trusted advisor to King Edward IV.

In the 16th century, Sir Christopher Hatton (1540-1591) was a prominent English politician and Lord Chancellor under Queen Elizabeth I. He was also a patron of the arts and a benefactor of the University of Oxford.

During the English Civil War, Christopher Hatton, 1st Baron Hatton (1605-1670), was a prominent Royalist and supporter of King Charles I. He served as the Governor of Guernsey and played a significant role in the Royalist cause.

While the name Hatfield has a long and distinguished history in England, it has also been carried by notable individuals in other parts of the world. For example, Mark Hatfield (1922-2011) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Oregon and as the Governor of that state.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Hatfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Hatfield 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 589 Hatfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.85x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 589 2.85x
Middlesex 260 1.25x
Surrey 186 1.83x
Warwickshire 136 2.59x
Lancashire 106 0.43x
Nottinghamshire 99 3.52x
Derbyshire 94 2.88x
Lincolnshire 88 2.64x
Staffordshire 79 1.12x
Kent 71 1.00x
Shropshire 56 3.11x
Worcestershire 42 1.54x
Hampshire 38 0.89x
Essex 37 0.90x
Radnorshire 33 19.63x
Northamptonshire 30 1.53x
Leicestershire 28 1.21x
Sussex 23 0.65x
Berkshire 17 1.09x
Cheshire 16 0.35x
Durham 16 0.26x
Northumberland 15 0.48x
Herefordshire 11 1.29x
Norfolk 11 0.34x
Buckinghamshire 8 0.64x
Montgomeryshire 6 1.26x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.38x
Huntingdonshire 5 1.21x
Glamorgan 4 0.11x
Gloucestershire 4 0.10x
Rutland 4 2.61x
Devon 3 0.07x
Lanarkshire 3 0.04x
Bedfordshire 2 0.19x
Flintshire 2 0.36x
Royal Navy 2 0.81x
Somerset 2 0.06x
Suffolk 2 0.08x
Channel Islands 1 0.16x
Oxfordshire 1 0.08x
Wiltshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Birmingham in Warwickshire leads with 57 Hatfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.25x.

Place Total Index
Birmingham 57 3.25x
Islington London 42 2.08x
Aston 38 2.63x
Lambeth 36 1.98x
Middlesbrough 29 10.79x
Bermondsey 27 4.35x
Sheffield 27 4.11x
Leeds 26 2.23x
West Derby 23 3.18x
Hammersmith London 22 4.29x
Knighton 22 161.88x
Seaton Ross 22 648.97x
Camberwell 21 1.58x
Holy Trinity 21 4.23x
Sculcoates 21 6.42x
St Pancras London 20 1.19x
Wednesbury 20 11.38x
Cottingham 18 40.45x
Misson 18 369.61x
Sutton In Ashfield 18 29.53x
Clapham 17 6.53x
Mirfield 17 15.00x
Bethnal Green London 16 1.77x
Rotherham 16 13.75x
Shoreditch London 16 1.77x
Ecclesall Bierlow 15 3.57x
Ripley 15 37.19x
Sowe 15 158.56x
Thornhill 15 24.90x
Basford 14 10.82x
Nottingham St Mary 14 1.93x
Portsea 14 1.67x
Wallsend 14 14.24x
Chelsea London 13 2.07x
Clun 13 101.72x
Coventry Holy Trinity 13 8.29x
Dewsbury 13 6.14x
Dudley 13 3.93x
Great Grimsby 12 5.68x
Normanby By Spital 12 424.03x
Snenton 12 10.87x
St Marylebone London 12 1.08x
Wirksworth 12 40.46x
Doncaster 11 7.29x
Goodmanham 11 493.27x
Ludlow St Lawrence 11 30.72x
Oldham 11 1.38x
Poplar London 11 2.80x
Southwark St Saviour 11 10.27x
Allerthorpe 10 934.58x
Barnsley 10 4.70x
Chesterfield 10 8.18x
Eckington 10 12.62x
Mile End Old Town London 10 2.25x
Southwark Christchurch 10 10.24x
Stranton 10 4.79x
Westminster St James 10 4.67x
Chailey 9 82.72x
Croydon 9 1.60x
Gate Fulford 9 18.66x
Haxey 9 63.65x
Higher Bebington 9 30.57x
Limehouse London 9 3.93x
New Malton 9 36.45x
North Meols 9 3.72x
Thetford St Cuthbert 9 77.72x
Winkfield 9 34.68x
Brinsworth 8 83.59x
Church Gresley 8 15.41x
Egham 8 12.83x
Enfield 8 5.85x
Fletching 8 50.89x
Folkestone 8 5.80x
Hackney London 8 0.68x
Kensington London 8 0.69x
Kimberworth 8 6.98x
Nafferton 8 90.91x
Rotherhithe 8 3.11x
Skirbeck Quarter 8 131.36x
St Martin In Fields 8 6.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 132
Sarah 90
Elizabeth 81
Ann 51
Eliza 42
Emma 42
Annie 40
Jane 34
Ellen 32
Alice 29
Emily 24
Clara 20
Caroline 17
Charlotte 17
Hannah 16
Edith 15
Florence 15
Louisa 14
Margaret 14
Martha 14
Ada 13
Harriet 12
Anne 11
Lucy 11
Fanny 9
Frances 8
Harriett 8
Maria 8
Agnes 7
Amelia 7
Catherine 7
Eleanor 7
Elizth. 7
Laura 7
Minnie 7
Matilda 6
Sophia 6
Gertrude 5
Helen 5
Jessie 5
Kate 5
Rose 5
Susan 5
Amy 4
Ethel 3
Ida 3
Lydia 3
Rachel 3
Rebecca 3
Victoria 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 131
John 117
George 78
Thomas 71
James 54
Charles 51
Henry 49
Arthur 33
Joseph 27
Robert 25
Samuel 23
Edward 21
Walter 21
Herbert 20
Albert 18
Alfred 17
Frederick 17
Wm. 15
Richard 14
Harry 13
David 11
Isaac 9
Geo. 8
Tom 8
Ernest 7
Thos. 7
Francis 6
Chas. 5
Daniel 5
Frank 5
Fred 5
Ambrose 4
Benjamin 4
Edwin 4
Fredk. 4
Abraham 3
Amos 3
Joe 3
Oliver 3
Septimus 3
Aaron 2
Jas. 2
Jesse 2
Leonard 2
Louis 2
Percy 2
Robt. 2
Rowland 2
Sidney 2
Stephen 2

FAQ

Hatfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Hatfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,132 people were recorded with the Hatfield surname. That placed it at #2,078 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Hatfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,081 in 2016. That gives Hatfield a modern rank of #2,188.

What does the Hatfield surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from any of the places named Hatfield in England.

What does the Hatfield map show?

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