NameCensus.

UK surname

Kentfield

A locational surname denoting someone from a place whose name includes reference to a field in Kent, England.

In the 1881 census there were 123 people recorded with the Kentfield surname, ranking it #17,506 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 164, ranked #22,314, down from #17,506 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Witham, Newchurch and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redcar and Cleveland, Croydon and Thanet.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kentfield is 179 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.3%.

1881 census count

123

Ranked #17,506

Modern count

164

2016, ranked #22,314

Peak year

1911

179 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kentfield had 123 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,506 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 164 in 2016, ranked #22,314.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 179 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Kentfield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kentfield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kentfield 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 107 #16,402
1861 historical 89 #22,419
1881 historical 123 #17,506
1891 historical 156 #17,842
1901 historical 172 #16,643
1911 historical 179 #16,023
1997 modern 150 #21,119
1998 modern 155 #21,227
1999 modern 155 #21,375
2000 modern 154 #21,415
2001 modern 151 #21,375
2002 modern 154 #21,531
2003 modern 154 #21,308
2004 modern 157 #21,168
2005 modern 155 #21,318
2006 modern 152 #21,721
2007 modern 156 #21,650
2008 modern 161 #21,431
2009 modern 167 #21,383
2010 modern 179 #20,886
2011 modern 166 #21,745
2012 modern 161 #22,157
2013 modern 166 #22,075
2014 modern 166 #22,277
2015 modern 164 #22,325
2016 modern 164 #22,314

Geography

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Where Kentfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Witham, Newchurch, London parishes, Bourne St Mary and Newport. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redcar and Cleveland, Croydon, Thanet and Thurrock. 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 Witham Essex
2 Newchurch Hampshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Bourne St Mary Hampshire
5 Newport Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redcar and Cleveland 013 Redcar and Cleveland
2 Croydon 034 Croydon
3 Thanet 012 Thanet
4 Croydon 032 Croydon
5 Thurrock 015 Thurrock

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kentfield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kentfield

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Kentfield is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Kentfield is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kentfield falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Kentfield

The surname Kentfield originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is a locational name derived from the village of Kentfield, which is located in the county of Kent. The name is believed to have been derived from the Old English words "cyn" meaning "royal" and "feld" meaning "field" or "open land."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kentfield can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. The record mentions a landowner named Radulfus de Kentfeld, who held lands in the village of Kentfield.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, various spellings of the name appeared in historical records, including Kentfelde, Kentefeld, and Kentfyld. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during that time.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named John Kentfield (c. 1420 - 1492) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of London. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers and served as an alderman in the city.

Another individual of note was Sir Roger Kentfield (c. 1560 - 1628), who was a Member of Parliament and served as a Justice of the Peace for the county of Kent during the reign of King James I.

In the 17th century, William Kentfield (1635 - 1702) was a renowned English scholar and author. He wrote several books on theology and philosophy, including "The Principles of Natural Religion" and "An Essay on the Intellectual Powers of Man."

During the 18th century, Elizabeth Kentfield (1720 - 1784) was a notable philanthropist who established several charitable foundations in the city of Canterbury to support orphans and the underprivileged.

In the 19th century, Sir Henry Kentfield (1813 - 1892) was a prominent British industrialist and businessman. He was the founder of the Kentfield Engineering Company, which played a significant role in the industrial revolution and the development of manufacturing processes.

Throughout its history, the surname Kentfield has been associated with various place names in Kent, such as Kentfield Green, Kentfield Manor, and Kentfield Farm, further reinforcing its locational origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kentfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kentfield 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. Surrey leads with 29 Kentfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.96x.

County Total Index
Surrey 29 4.96x
Middlesex 24 2.00x
Essex 23 9.71x
Hampshire 17 6.91x
Kent 16 3.91x
Ayrshire 5 5.57x
Lancashire 5 0.35x
Sussex 2 0.99x
Berkshire 1 1.11x
Yorkshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Faversham in Kent leads with 12 Kentfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 307.69x.

Place Total Index
Faversham 12 307.69x
Earls Colne 9 1384.62x
Brading 7 214.07x
Chelsea London 7 19.36x
Clapham 7 46.67x
Egham 7 194.99x
Hackney London 7 10.41x
Carisbrooke 6 175.95x
West Ham 6 11.47x
Irvine 5 200.80x
Lambeth 5 4.78x
Witham 5 409.84x
Lewisham 4 18.32x
Openshaw 4 59.97x
Bethnal Green London 3 5.76x
Epsom 2 70.18x
Ewell 2 162.60x
Shoreditch London 2 3.85x
St George Hanover Square 2 9.46x
St Mary Bourne 2 444.44x
St Pancras London 2 2.07x
Wimbledon 2 30.49x
Brighton 1 2.45x
Camberwell 1 1.30x
Chelmsford 1 24.63x
Croydon 1 3.08x
Halstead 1 36.23x
Hopwood 1 53.76x
Limehouse London 1 7.59x
Reading St Mary 1 13.87x
Richmond 1 12.21x
Selby 1 40.32x
Southampton St Mary 1 6.47x
Stratfieldsaye 1 416.67x
Streatham 1 11.24x
Waltham Holy Cross 1 45.25x
Washington 1 285.71x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 8
Thomas 7
George 5
Henry 5
Edward 3
Edwin 3
Arthur 2
David 2
Francis 2
Harry 2
James 2
A. 1
Albert 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredrick 1
H. 1
Phillip 1
Richard 1
W.H. 1

FAQ

Kentfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kentfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 123 people were recorded with the Kentfield surname. That placed it at #17,506 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kentfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 164 in 2016. That gives Kentfield a modern rank of #22,314.

What does the Kentfield surname mean?

A locational surname denoting someone from a place whose name includes reference to a field in Kent, England.

What does the Kentfield map show?

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