NameCensus.

UK surname

Honeyfield

A surname referring to someone who lived near or owned a field producing honey.

In the 1881 census there were 71 people recorded with the Honeyfield surname, ranking it #23,517 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 128, ranked #26,401, down from #23,517 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Bedminster. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rhondda Cynon Taf, Bristol and Lewisham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Honeyfield is 133 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 80.3%.

1881 census count

71

Ranked #23,517

Modern count

128

2016, ranked #26,401

Peak year

2013

133 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Honeyfield had 71 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,517 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 128 in 2016, ranked #26,401.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 115 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Honeyfield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Honeyfield surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Honeyfield 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 38 #26,502
1861 historical 49 #27,768
1881 historical 71 #23,517
1891 historical 108 #22,828
1901 historical 97 #23,227
1911 historical 115 #20,951
1997 modern 127 #23,352
1998 modern 124 #24,316
1999 modern 122 #24,745
2000 modern 118 #25,197
2001 modern 118 #24,832
2002 modern 129 #24,021
2003 modern 128 #23,890
2004 modern 123 #24,679
2005 modern 124 #24,529
2006 modern 116 #25,813
2007 modern 119 #25,747
2008 modern 123 #25,505
2009 modern 125 #25,823
2010 modern 126 #26,312
2011 modern 130 #25,547
2012 modern 125 #26,298
2013 modern 133 #25,655
2014 modern 131 #26,089
2015 modern 128 #26,356
2016 modern 128 #26,401

Geography

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Where Honeyfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster, Gillingham and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rhondda Cynon Taf, Bristol and Lewisham. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Bedminster Somerset
4 Gillingham Dorset
5 Bedwelty Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rhondda Cynon Taf 018 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2 Bristol 048 Bristol, City of
3 Bristol 046 Bristol, City of
4 Rhondda Cynon Taf 016 Rhondda Cynon Taf
5 Lewisham 009 Lewisham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Honeyfield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Honeyfield

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Honeyfield, 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 Honeyfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Honeyfield 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Honeyfield is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Honeyfield is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Honeyfield falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Honeyfield is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Honeyfield

The surname Honeyfield is of English origin and dates back to the medieval era. It is a locational surname, derived from a place name that referred to a field or meadow where honey was produced or collected. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have lived near such a field or were involved in beekeeping or honey production.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Suffolk from 1230, which mention a Robert de Honeyhefield. This indicates that the name was already in use by the 13th century in the county of Suffolk, located in East Anglia.

In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a John de Honeyfelde, suggesting that variations in spelling were common in those times. The name may have originated as a descriptive phrase, such as "the field of honey," which later became a fixed surname.

The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 list a William de Honyfeld, providing evidence of the name's presence in the West Midlands region during the 14th century. This variation in spelling likely reflects regional dialects or scribal errors.

A notable bearer of the name was Sir John Honeyfield, a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry in Gloucestershire during the 15th century. Records indicate that he was born around 1420 and held significant estates in the county.

Another prominent figure was William Honeyfield, a successful merchant and alderman in the city of London in the late 16th century. He was born in 1552 and played an influential role in the city's governance and trade activities during his lifetime.

In the 17th century, there is mention of a Richard Honeyfield who served as a captain in the English Civil War, fighting for the Parliamentarian forces. He was born in 1612 and his military service is documented in contemporary accounts of the conflict.

The name Honeyfield has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Honeyfield Farm in Oxfordshire and Honeyfield Lane in Hertfordshire, further reinforcing its locational origins.

Throughout history, the surname Honeyfield has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, merchants, military officers, and likely those involved in the production or trade of honey, reflecting the agricultural and rural roots of the name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Honeyfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Honeyfield 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. Dorset leads with 30 Honeyfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 66.02x.

County Total Index
Dorset 30 66.02x
Somerset 19 17.05x
Hampshire 7 4.93x
Gloucestershire 6 4.42x
Brecknockshire 4 28.88x
Shropshire 2 3.34x
Middlesex 1 0.14x
Surrey 1 0.30x
Worcestershire 1 1.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bedminster in Somerset leads with 14 Honeyfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 133.72x.

Place Total Index
Bedminster 14 133.72x
Gillingham 14 1794.87x
Buckhorn Weston 8 6666.67x
Portsea 7 25.17x
Bristol St George 6 95.54x
East Stour 6 5454.55x
Portishead 4 481.93x
Fifehead Magdalen 2 6666.67x
Glasbury 2 1052.63x
Llangunider 2 232.56x
Ludlow St Lawrence 2 168.07x
Hanley Castle 1 185.19x
Kensington London 1 2.60x
Lambeth 1 1.66x
Wincanton 1 175.44x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 5
George 4
Robert 4
James 3
John 3
Charles 2
Frank 2
Henry 2
Arthur 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Humphrey 1
Joel 1
Joseph 1
Lyn 1
O.Agustus 1
Oliver 1
Robt. 1
Thomas 1

FAQ

Honeyfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Honeyfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 71 people were recorded with the Honeyfield surname. That placed it at #23,517 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Honeyfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 128 in 2016. That gives Honeyfield a modern rank of #26,401.

What does the Honeyfield surname mean?

A surname referring to someone who lived near or owned a field producing honey.

What does the Honeyfield map show?

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