NameCensus.

UK surname

Maxfield

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Mac's field" or "great field."

In the 1881 census there were 792 people recorded with the Maxfield surname, ranking it #4,700 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,228, ranked #4,855, down from #4,700 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newcastle-under-Lyme, Doncaster and Craven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Maxfield is 1,343 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.1%.

1881 census count

792

Ranked #4,700

Modern count

1,228

2016, ranked #4,855

Peak year

2002

1,343 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Maxfield had 792 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,700 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,228 in 2016, ranked #4,855.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,337 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Maxfield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Maxfield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Maxfield 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 610 #4,225
1861 historical 425 #6,043
1881 historical 792 #4,700
1891 historical 920 #4,495
1901 historical 1,234 #4,013
1911 historical 1,337 #3,577
1997 modern 1,196 #4,724
1998 modern 1,334 #4,449
1999 modern 1,337 #4,477
2000 modern 1,328 #4,487
2001 modern 1,304 #4,469
2002 modern 1,343 #4,458
2003 modern 1,319 #4,430
2004 modern 1,284 #4,533
2005 modern 1,270 #4,530
2006 modern 1,274 #4,529
2007 modern 1,263 #4,599
2008 modern 1,248 #4,687
2009 modern 1,261 #4,746
2010 modern 1,283 #4,753
2011 modern 1,282 #4,705
2012 modern 1,243 #4,769
2013 modern 1,267 #4,772
2014 modern 1,263 #4,810
2015 modern 1,254 #4,789
2016 modern 1,228 #4,855

Geography

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Where Maxfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Sheffield and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newcastle-under-Lyme, Doncaster, Craven and North Lincolnshire. 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 Wolstanton Staffordshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newcastle-under-Lyme 003 Newcastle-under-Lyme
2 Doncaster 004 Doncaster
3 Craven 002 Craven
4 North Lincolnshire 006 North Lincolnshire
5 Doncaster 015 Doncaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Maxfield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Maxfield

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Maxfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Maxfield household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Maxfield is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Maxfield is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Maxfield

The surname MAXFIELD originates from England and is thought to date back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "maesc" meaning "bog" or "marsh" and "feld" meaning "field" or "open land". It likely referred to someone who lived near a marshy or boggy field.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Maschefelt". This entry refers to a place in Nottinghamshire. Other early spellings include "Maschefeld" and "Maxfeild".

In the 13th century, there are records of a Robert de Maxfield who held lands in Staffordshire. Another early bearer of the name was William de Maxfield, who was mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1205 in Derbyshire.

The surname MAXFIELD is also associated with several place names in England, such as Maxfield in Cheshire, and Maxfield Farm in Staffordshire. These locations likely derived their names from the same Old English root words as the surname.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Sir John Maxfield (c. 1480 - 1555), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1531. Another notable figure was Thomas Maxfield (1590 - 1616), an English Quaker preacher and one of the earliest followers of George Fox.

Other historical figures with the MAXFIELD surname include:

- William Maxfield (1630 - 1698), an English Puritan minister and author. - Musgrave Maxfield (1667 - 1726), an English barrister and writer. - Joseph Maxfield (1671 - 1747), an English Quaker leader and writer. - William Maxfield (1770 - 1848), an English landscape painter. - John Maxfield (1835 - 1900), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Maxfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Maxfield 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 339 Maxfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.43x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 339 4.43x
Lancashire 56 0.61x
Nottinghamshire 52 4.99x
Cheshire 44 2.58x
Wiltshire 39 5.71x
Leicestershire 35 4.09x
Derbyshire 28 2.31x
Staffordshire 28 1.07x
Warwickshire 24 1.23x
Sussex 23 1.77x
Middlesex 21 0.27x
Durham 15 0.65x
Herefordshire 14 4.42x
Monmouthshire 14 2.51x
Kent 13 0.49x
Surrey 11 0.29x
Shropshire 9 1.35x
Glamorgan 7 0.52x
Cumberland 5 0.75x
Gloucestershire 5 0.33x
Hampshire 3 0.19x
Northumberland 3 0.26x
Berkshire 2 0.34x
Oxfordshire 1 0.21x
Somerset 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. Ecclesall Bierlow in Yorkshire leads with 52 Maxfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.39x.

Place Total Index
Ecclesall Bierlow 52 33.39x
Sheffield 47 19.28x
Nether Hallam 32 30.89x
Brightside Bierlow 25 16.65x
Blaxton 22 3859.65x
Leicester St Margaret 19 9.10x
Habergham Eaves 15 17.90x
Odd Rode 15 177.51x
Aston 14 2.61x
Bishopwearmouth 14 7.10x
Lonbridge Deverill 14 583.33x
Burnley 12 15.54x
Beard Ollerset Whitle 11 138.19x
Brighton 11 4.19x
Grassington 11 670.73x
Barlborough 10 223.71x
Horton In Bradford 10 8.36x
Bentley Cum Arksey 9 225.00x
Chorlton On Medlock 9 6.18x
Monmouth 9 60.77x
Skipton 9 37.36x
Wellington 9 23.99x
Birmingham 8 1.23x
Blidworth 8 592.59x
Doncaster 8 14.30x
Fisherton Anger 8 63.24x
Leicester St Mary 8 11.56x
Rawmarsh 8 29.57x
Treeton 8 444.44x
Wadworth 8 529.80x
Wolverhampton 8 3.99x
Conisbrough 7 97.49x
Hunshelf 7 186.67x
Llandaff 7 15.64x
Newton In Northwich 7 134.87x
Nottingham St Mary 7 2.60x
Appleton 6 155.44x
Bradford 6 3.24x
Hove 6 10.50x
Islington London 6 0.80x
Rotherham 6 13.90x
Wetherby 6 120.24x
Wombwell 6 26.88x
Worksop 6 19.43x
Broadwater 5 16.73x
Chilwell 5 180.51x
Ecclesfield 5 8.91x
Horningsham 5 232.56x
Welsh Newton 5 833.33x
Wolstanton Chatterly 5 186.57x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 4 5.61x
Barrow In Furness 4 3.21x
Bolsover 4 66.01x
Brixton Deverill 4 930.23x
Congleton 4 13.57x
Finningley 4 404.04x
Gravesend 4 17.92x
Greasbrough 4 39.56x
Great Bolton 4 3.29x
Holbeck 4 7.89x
Leicester All Sts 4 23.78x
Lenton 4 16.31x
Loughborough 4 10.29x
Lower Bebington 4 39.49x
Monckton Deverill 4 1176.47x
Newton 4 5.66x
Radford 4 7.56x
Rumworth 4 30.53x
St Cuthbert W O 4 12.34x
Tipton 4 5.01x
Warminster 4 26.72x
Warsop 4 144.93x
Altrincham 3 10.07x
Aymestrey 3 175.44x
Canwell 3 3000.00x
Codsall 3 80.86x
Lambeth 3 0.45x
Morley 3 7.54x
Newnham 3 77.12x
St Woollos 3 4.81x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 63
William 39
Thomas 36
George 25
James 20
Charles 18
Joseph 16
Henry 14
Alfred 12
Arthur 10
Samuel 10
Herbert 9
Albert 8
Robert 8
Walter 8
Tom 7
Frank 6
Fred 5
Harry 5
Frederick 4
Edwin 3
Thos. 3
Benjamin 2
Chas. 2
Francis 2
Geo. 2
Joshua 2
Matthew 2
Metcalfe 2
Percy 2
Richard 2
Sidney 2
Walta 2
Willie 2
Wm. 2
Christopher 1
David 1
Dennis 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.C.J. 1
Gertrude 1
Harold 1
Kay 1
Keating 1
Leonard 1
Malin 1
Morris 1
Ohearn 1
Philip 1
Wm.Hy. 1

FAQ

Maxfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Maxfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 792 people were recorded with the Maxfield surname. That placed it at #4,700 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Maxfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,228 in 2016. That gives Maxfield a modern rank of #4,855.

What does the Maxfield surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "Mac's field" or "great field."

What does the Maxfield map show?

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