NameCensus.

UK surname

Schofield

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "shed field" or "divided field."

In the 1881 census there were 16,242 people recorded with the Schofield surname, ranking it #240 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 15,542, ranked #405, down from #240 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) and Ashton-under-Lyne. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tameside, Rochdale and Rossendale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Schofield is 20,800 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 4.3%.

1881 census count

16,242

Ranked #240

Modern count

15,542

2016, ranked #405

Peak year

1911

20,800 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Schofield had 16,242 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #240 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 15,542 in 2016, ranked #405.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 20,800 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Schofield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Schofield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Schofield 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 9,906 #260
1861 historical 10,873 #231
1881 historical 16,242 #240
1891 historical 17,419 #230
1901 historical 19,417 #255
1911 historical 20,800 #214
1997 modern 16,003 #378
1998 modern 16,324 #385
1999 modern 16,540 #384
2000 modern 16,564 #381
2001 modern 16,192 #381
2002 modern 16,400 #384
2003 modern 16,055 #381
2004 modern 15,920 #384
2005 modern 15,452 #391
2006 modern 15,301 #394
2007 modern 15,339 #395
2008 modern 15,396 #398
2009 modern 15,803 #399
2010 modern 16,046 #401
2011 modern 15,871 #400
2012 modern 15,421 #402
2013 modern 15,860 #401
2014 modern 15,937 #401
2015 modern 15,713 #401
2016 modern 15,542 #405

Geography

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Where Schofields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth), Ashton-under-Lyne and Prestwich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tameside, Rochdale and Rossendale. 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 Rochdale Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bury (Walmersley and Tottington, Heap),Middleton (Birtle with Bamford, Pilsworth) Lancashire
4 Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire
5 Prestwich Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tameside 001 Tameside
2 Rochdale 014 Rochdale
3 Rochdale 012 Rochdale
4 Rossendale 010 Rossendale
5 Rochdale 017 Rochdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Schofield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Schofield

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Schofield 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

Schofield 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

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

Meaning and origin of Schofield

The surname Schofield is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "sceaga" meaning a small wood or grove, and "feld" meaning an open field or clearing. It is a locational surname, which means it was originally given to someone who lived near a small wood or grove in an open field or clearing.

The name is believed to have originated in the county of Lancashire, England, where it was first recorded in the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332, where it was spelled as "Scholefelde".

In the Domesday Book, a medieval manuscript recording landholdings in England, there are several references to places with names similar to Schofield, such as "Scolefeld" and "Scholefelt", which likely contributed to the development of the surname.

One notable bearer of the surname was John Schofield (1782-1855), a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the Peninsular War. He was awarded the Army Gold Cross for his bravery during the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Another famous Schofield was Sir John Schofield (1892-1971), a British naval officer and Admiral of the Fleet during World War II. He played a significant role in the Battle of the Atlantic and was later appointed as the First Sea Lord, the professional head of the Royal Navy.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname was in Virginia in the 17th century. John Schofield (1632-1689) was an English colonist who settled in Accomack County, Virginia, and served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses.

James Schofield (1776-1853) was an American politician and lawyer from Pennsylvania, who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1843 to 1847.

Another notable American with the surname was John McAllister Schofield (1831-1906), a Union Army general during the American Civil War. He played a significant role in several major battles, including the Battle of Franklin and the Battle of Nashville, and later became the 28th United States Secretary of War from 1868 to 1869.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Schofield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Schofield 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 7,978 Schofields recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.25x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 7,978 4.25x
Yorkshire 5,654 3.60x
Cheshire 694 1.99x
Middlesex 408 0.26x
Surrey 217 0.28x
Derbyshire 179 0.72x
Nottinghamshire 156 0.73x
Lincolnshire 136 0.54x
Staffordshire 98 0.18x
Durham 83 0.18x
Essex 68 0.22x
Kent 56 0.10x
Suffolk 51 0.26x
Northumberland 46 0.20x
Warwickshire 45 0.11x
Lanarkshire 40 0.08x
Berkshire 33 0.28x
Westmorland 32 0.92x
Hampshire 30 0.09x
Leicestershire 30 0.17x
Worcestershire 26 0.13x
Monmouthshire 20 0.17x
Cambridgeshire 15 0.15x
Cumberland 14 0.10x
Isle of Man 14 0.48x
Devon 13 0.04x
Glamorgan 11 0.04x
Hertfordshire 10 0.09x
Sussex 10 0.04x
Denbighshire 8 0.13x
Montgomeryshire 8 0.22x
Anglesey 5 0.18x
Somerset 5 0.02x
Gloucestershire 4 0.01x
Dunbartonshire 3 0.07x
Herefordshire 3 0.05x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 0.13x
Renfrewshire 3 0.02x
Royal Navy 3 0.16x
Caithness 2 0.09x
Dorset 2 0.02x
Flintshire 2 0.05x
Oxfordshire 2 0.02x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.04x
Wiltshire 2 0.01x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.01x
Angus 1 0.01x
Bedfordshire 1 0.01x
Cornwall 1 0.01x
Merionethshire 1 0.03x
Midlothian 1 0.00x
Norfolk 1 0.00x
Northamptonshire 1 0.01x
Roxburghshire 1 0.03x
Rutland 1 0.09x
Shropshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 988 Schofields recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.29x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 988 16.29x
Saddleworth 700 57.83x
Ashton Under Lyne 650 15.83x
Castleton 502 26.75x
Spotland 430 20.58x
Heap 281 28.19x
Leeds 280 3.16x
Wuerdle Wardle 243 42.60x
Wardleworth 241 22.44x
Chadderton 240 26.12x
Huddersfield 218 9.53x
Butterworth 214 46.74x
Dukinfield 188 11.64x
Great Bolton 172 6.91x
Manchester 171 2.02x
Hunslet 169 6.91x
Horton In Bradford 143 5.83x
Royton 138 24.01x
Bury 135 6.29x
Newchurch 135 8.78x
Mirfield 128 14.86x
Salford 122 2.21x
Blatchinworth 108 25.24x
Crompton 107 19.99x
Farnworth 107 9.50x
Bradford 106 2.79x
Ecclesall Bierlow 106 3.32x
Tottington Lower End 99 11.09x
Bowling 94 6.05x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 93 23.49x
Gomersal 90 12.29x
Failsworth 87 20.23x
Hulme 85 2.17x
Little Bolton 82 3.39x
Halifax 80 3.47x
Tong 79 26.06x
Hipperholme Cum 78 11.31x
Burnley 77 4.87x
Marsden In Almondbury 75 52.52x
Wortley In Bramley 75 6.03x
Accrington 74 4.33x
Pilkington 73 10.23x
Dewsbury 71 4.41x
Middleton In Oldham 70 12.42x
Denton 69 16.57x
Droylsden 69 11.25x
Prestwich 68 14.50x
Blackburn 65 1.30x
Habergham Eaves 65 3.78x
Almondbury 63 8.30x
Tottington Higher End 63 29.45x
Higher Booths 61 18.01x
Linthwaite 61 18.49x
Haslingden 60 7.71x
Stayley 60 15.02x
Barnsley 58 3.58x
Sheffield 57 1.14x
Pendleton In Salford 55 2.46x
Kirkheaton 54 21.22x
Morley 53 6.50x
Bethnal Green London 52 0.76x
Gorton 51 2.89x
Newton 51 3.52x
Batley 49 3.29x
Dalton In Huddersfield 49 13.94x
Todmorden Walsden 48 9.53x
Headingley Cum Burley 47 4.65x
Openshaw 46 5.23x
Hopwood 44 17.91x
Chorlton On Medlock 43 1.44x
Honley 43 15.65x
Preston 43 0.86x
Rawmarsh 43 7.76x
Stockport 43 2.39x
Castleford 42 7.35x
Heckmondwike 42 8.32x
St Pancras London 42 0.33x
Wigan 42 1.60x
Brightside Bierlow 41 1.33x
Tintwistle 41 21.95x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,329
Sarah 836
Elizabeth 606
Hannah 375
Ann 360
Alice 330
Jane 307
Martha 253
Emma 249
Eliza 211
Ellen 208
Annie 204
Emily 148
Margaret 140
Betty 119
Clara 99
Ada 93
Harriet 90
Maria 85
Fanny 72
Edith 69
Esther 63
Lucy 56
Louisa 55
Betsy 52
Bertha 51
Frances 50
Florence 46
Amelia 43
Charlotte 42
Agnes 41
Caroline 41
Catherine 41
Rachel 40
Ruth 37
Susannah 37
Nancy 35
Anne 30
Grace 30
Harriett 30
Gertrude 29
Amy 28
Elizth. 28
Isabella 28
Susan 28
Eleanor 25
Kate 24
Matilda 24
Rebecca 23
Selina 23

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 1,125
James 810
William 714
Thomas 471
Joseph 410
George 337
Robert 231
Henry 207
Samuel 202
Charles 197
Edward 137
Arthur 120
Fred 120
Alfred 117
Harry 108
Albert 107
Walter 103
Richard 100
Herbert 83
Benjamin 80
Frank 76
Frederick 66
David 59
Wm. 58
Edmund 55
Edwin 55
Tom 55
Ernest 54
Isaac 54
Abraham 46
Thos. 41
Sam 36
Joe 34
Joshua 32
Jonathan 29
Daniel 26
Peter 23
Ben 21
Jas. 21
Willie 20
Mark 19
Geo. 17
Jno. 16
Ralph 16
Robt. 16
Adam 15
Ellis 15
Francis 15
Matthew 13
Saml. 13

FAQ

Schofield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Schofield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 16,242 people were recorded with the Schofield surname. That placed it at #240 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Schofield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 15,542 in 2016. That gives Schofield a modern rank of #405.

What does the Schofield surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "shed field" or "divided field."

What does the Schofield map show?

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