NameCensus.

UK surname

Horsefield

A locational surname derived from a place name referring to a horse-pasture or horse meadow.

In the 1881 census there were 520 people recorded with the Horsefield surname, ranking it #6,564 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 268, ranked #16,003, down from #6,564 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, London parishes and Eccles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Salford, Cornwall and Trafford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Horsefield is 520 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 48.5%.

1881 census count

520

Ranked #6,564

Modern count

268

2016, ranked #16,003

Peak year

1881

520 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Horsefield had 520 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,564 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 268 in 2016, ranked #16,003.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 520 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Horsefield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Horsefield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Horsefield 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 315 #7,347
1861 historical 364 #7,023
1881 historical 520 #6,564
1891 historical 396 #8,945
1901 historical 483 #8,256
1911 historical 341 #10,468
1997 modern 317 #13,053
1998 modern 343 #12,707
1999 modern 320 #13,398
2000 modern 316 #13,460
2001 modern 301 #13,700
2002 modern 301 #13,962
2003 modern 285 #14,295
2004 modern 276 #14,684
2005 modern 277 #14,542
2006 modern 278 #14,623
2007 modern 278 #14,773
2008 modern 279 #14,860
2009 modern 294 #14,628
2010 modern 309 #14,420
2011 modern 322 #13,907
2012 modern 298 #14,565
2013 modern 289 #15,142
2014 modern 288 #15,285
2015 modern 277 #15,622
2016 modern 268 #16,003

Geography

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Where Horsefields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, London parishes, Eccles, Manchester and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Salford, Cornwall and Trafford. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Eccles Lancashire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Salford 012 Salford
2 Cornwall 027 Cornwall
3 Salford 009 Salford
4 Trafford 012 Trafford
5 Salford 008 Salford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Horsefield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Horsefield

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Horsefield, 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 Horsefield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Horsefield 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Horsefield 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

Horsefield 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

Horsefield 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 Horsefield is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Horsefield

The surname Horsefield originated in England in the medieval period. It derives from the Old English words 'hors' meaning horse and 'feld' meaning field, indicating it was initially a locational name for someone who lived near a field where horses grazed.

Horsefield is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as a place name, Horsefelt, in Gloucestershire. Early spellings of the surname include Horsfeild, Horsfelde, Horsfeld, and Horsefeld, reflecting regional dialect variations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is William de Horsefeld, noted in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1301. The Feet of Fines were documents recording land transactions and provide valuable insights into medieval names and locations.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the Horsefield family held lands in Staffordshire and Cheshire, with records showing John de Horsfeld as a landowner in Cheshire in 1330. Several branches of the family later emerged in Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire.

Notable individuals bearing the Horsefield surname include Richard Horsefield (c.1610-1683), an English politician who served as Mayor of Chester in 1658. Thomas Horsefield (1773-1859) was a British entomologist and author of 'The Lepidopterist's Guide' published in 1828.

In the 16th century, Edward Horsefield (c.1550-1624) was a wealthy merchant and landowner in Staffordshire. His grandson, also named Edward Horsefield (1595-1665), was a Parliamentarian officer during the English Civil War.

Reverend John Horsefield (1768-1838) was a renowned clergyman and author from Yorkshire, publishing works on religious topics and local history. His nephew, Thomas Walker Horsefield (1792-1837), achieved recognition as a landscape painter and art teacher in Manchester.

The Horsefield name continued to be prominent in various parts of England throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, with individuals from this lineage contributing to fields such as politics, religion, sciences, and the arts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Horsefield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Horsefield 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. Lancashire leads with 227 Horsefields recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.78x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 227 3.78x
Yorkshire 189 3.77x
Cheshire 54 4.83x
Durham 9 0.60x
Surrey 9 0.36x
Middlesex 7 0.14x
Midlothian 6 0.88x
Westmorland 6 5.39x
Derbyshire 3 0.38x
Leicestershire 3 0.53x
Ayrshire 2 0.53x
Bedfordshire 1 0.38x
Hampshire 1 0.10x
Norfolk 1 0.13x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 29 Horsefields recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.14x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 29 18.14x
Bradfield 22 113.75x
Newton In Ashton Under 21 190.39x
Colne 20 111.73x
Selby 16 152.67x
Pendlebury 15 118.30x
Barnoldswick 14 200.00x
Doncaster 14 38.20x
Gorton 14 24.79x
Salford 12 6.79x
Castleton 10 16.67x
Church 10 117.92x
Hyde 9 27.29x
Nether Hallam 9 13.26x
Wigan 9 10.72x
Accrington 8 14.65x
Beverley St Martin 8 95.58x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 8 12.26x
Potter Newton 8 90.40x
Ashton Under Lyne 7 5.33x
Barlby 7 786.52x
Habergham Eaves 7 12.75x
Manchester 7 2.59x
Runcorn 7 27.16x
Stockport 7 12.17x
Ecclesfield 6 16.31x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 2.20x
Midgley 6 112.15x
Rusholme 6 37.45x
St Mary 6 179.10x
Baildon 5 52.91x
Cheetham 5 11.16x
Great Little Marsden 5 18.17x
Hulme 5 3.99x
Kirkby Stephen 5 173.01x
Lymm 5 61.58x
Rotherham 5 17.68x
Skircoat 5 25.28x
Walton Le Dale 5 30.98x
Worsley 5 13.50x
Brightside Bierlow 4 4.07x
Denton 4 30.05x
Halifax 4 5.43x
Padiham 4 27.57x
Pilkington 4 17.53x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 3.93x
St George Hanover Square 4 4.48x
Ardwick 3 5.54x
Bedford 3 23.87x
Dukinfield 3 5.81x
Ecclesall Bierlow 3 2.94x
Headingley Cum Burley 3 9.29x
Kimberworth 3 10.78x
Lytham 3 32.72x
Mellor 3 139.53x
Mexborough 3 30.12x
Nailstone 3 234.38x
Ovenden 3 13.43x
Prestwich 3 20.01x
Sculcoates 3 3.77x
Sheffield 3 1.88x
Southwark St Saviour 3 11.53x
Sutton Stoneferry 3 20.91x
Thornton In Bradford 3 17.96x
Trawden 3 79.79x
Westminster St John 3 4.87x
Bradford 2 7.11x
Camberwell 2 0.62x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 2.10x
Ebberston 2 194.17x
Heptonstall 2 28.41x
Hoghton 2 131.58x
Leeds 2 0.71x
Loudoun 2 21.95x
Lunedale 2 298.51x
Nether Wyresdale 2 190.48x
Northowram 2 5.69x
Preston 2 1.24x
Snaith Cowick 2 66.67x
Thorne 2 32.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 50
Elizabeth 26
Sarah 23
Ann 14
Alice 13
Margaret 10
Ellen 9
Martha 9
Jane 8
Hannah 7
Annie 6
Ada 5
Emma 5
Caroline 3
Clara 3
Eliza 3
Fanny 3
Allice 2
Betsy 2
Emily 2
Esther 2
Gertrude 2
Harriet 2
Margt. 2
Maude 2
Rachel 2
Alvenia 1
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Annice 1
Annis 1
Deborah 1
Dinah 1
Edith 1
Elizar 1
Elizth. 1
Hephyikah 1
Ignia 1
Imin 1
Isabella 1
Jemima 1
Jenny 1
Jessie 1
Kaye 1
Lavina 1
Lavinia 1
Leah 1
Lilley 1
Lillian 1
Susy 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 34
William 33
Thomas 20
James 19
Joseph 17
Robert 14
Charles 9
Richard 9
George 8
Henry 7
Arthur 5
Edward 5
Benjamin 4
Walter 4
David 3
Edmund 3
Fred 3
Ralph 3
Albert 2
Alfred 2
Edwin 2
Ernest 2
Hartley 2
Herbert 2
Jonathan 2
Moses 2
Samuel 2
Thos. 2
Bentley 1
Ellis 1
Emmanuel 1
Fred. 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Hudson 1
Israel 1
Jacob 1
Jas.Wilding 1
Jessey 1
Jno. 1
Joe 1
Luke 1
Mather 1
Matthew 1
R.H. 1
Samie 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Horsefield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Horsefield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 520 people were recorded with the Horsefield surname. That placed it at #6,564 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Horsefield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 268 in 2016. That gives Horsefield a modern rank of #16,003.

What does the Horsefield surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name referring to a horse-pasture or horse meadow.

What does the Horsefield map show?

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