NameCensus.

UK surname

Scholefield

Derived from a habitation name of Old English origin, referring to a field associated with a school or church.

In the 1881 census there were 860 people recorded with the Scholefield surname, ranking it #4,399 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 644, ranked #8,237, down from #4,399 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mirfield, Halifax and Birstall. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ryedale, Calderdale and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Scholefield is 977 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 25.1%.

1881 census count

860

Ranked #4,399

Modern count

644

2016, ranked #8,237

Peak year

1851

977 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Scholefield had 860 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,399 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 644 in 2016, ranked #8,237.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 977 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Scholefield surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Scholefield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Scholefield 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 977 #2,856
1861 historical 798 #3,444
1881 historical 860 #4,399
1891 historical 731 #5,428
1901 historical 836 #5,432
1911 historical 842 #5,265
1997 modern 634 #7,817
1998 modern 674 #7,699
1999 modern 684 #7,651
2000 modern 693 #7,545
2001 modern 697 #7,389
2002 modern 693 #7,574
2003 modern 680 #7,568
2004 modern 670 #7,674
2005 modern 629 #7,978
2006 modern 630 #7,995
2007 modern 646 #7,901
2008 modern 645 #7,959
2009 modern 662 #7,960
2010 modern 673 #8,024
2011 modern 676 #7,906
2012 modern 652 #8,057
2013 modern 636 #8,345
2014 modern 656 #8,194
2015 modern 654 #8,154
2016 modern 644 #8,237

Geography

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Where Scholefields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mirfield, Halifax, Birstall, Batley and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ryedale, Calderdale, Kirklees and Herefordshire. 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 Mirfield Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ryedale 007 Ryedale
2 Calderdale 007 Calderdale
3 Kirklees 005 Kirklees
4 Calderdale 016 Calderdale
5 Herefordshire 019 Herefordshire, County of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Scholefield

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Scholefield

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

Scholefield is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Scholefield falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Scholefield

The surname Scholefield is of English origin, and it can be traced back to the 14th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "scolr" and "feld," which together mean "a field where scholars or students lived." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place where a school or educational institution was located.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Scholefield surname can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a certain Robert de Scholefelde is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use in Yorkshire during the late 14th century.

During the 16th century, the name was sometimes spelled as "Schollefield" or "Schollefeld," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that period. The Scholefield surname was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire.

In the 17th century, several notable individuals bore the Scholefield surname. One example is William Scholefield (1612-1667), an English clergyman and author who served as the vicar of Coxwold in Yorkshire. Another is John Scholefield (1635-1689), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

The 18th century saw the emergence of James Scholefield (1789-1853), a British author and lexicographer who compiled several dictionaries and linguistic works. His most notable work was "A Dictionary of the English Language," published in 1835.

In the 19th century, James Scholefield (1834-1925) was a prominent English-born Australian judge and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales and played a significant role in shaping the legal system of the colony.

Another notable individual with the Scholefield surname was William Scholefield (1809-1867), an English architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in Yorkshire, including the Yorkshire Philosophical Society's museum in York.

The Scholefield surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Scholefield Hall in Lancashire and Scholefield Manor in Yorkshire. These place names further reinforce the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Scholefield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Scholefield 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 604 Scholefields recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.30x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 604 7.30x
Lancashire 82 0.83x
Middlesex 49 0.59x
Hampshire 18 1.05x
Staffordshire 17 0.60x
Surrey 15 0.37x
Durham 12 0.48x
Warwickshire 11 0.52x
Kent 10 0.35x
Northumberland 7 0.56x
Cheshire 6 0.33x
Sussex 6 0.43x
Monmouthshire 4 0.66x
Gloucestershire 3 0.18x
Lincolnshire 3 0.22x
Cornwall 2 0.21x
Lanarkshire 2 0.07x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.20x
Essex 1 0.06x
Isle of Man 1 0.64x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.09x
Worcestershire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cleckheaton in Yorkshire leads with 52 Scholefields recorded in 1881 and an index of 170.60x.

Place Total Index
Cleckheaton 52 170.60x
Mirfield 50 110.06x
Leeds 37 7.92x
Gomersal 32 82.86x
Halifax 27 22.23x
Huddersfield 24 19.91x
Batley 23 29.25x
Dewsbury 23 27.10x
Horton In Bradford 21 16.25x
Bradford 17 8.49x
Kensington London 17 3.66x
Bowling 16 19.52x
Hornsey 15 14.21x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 13 62.29x
Manningham 13 12.75x
Pickering 13 124.76x
Warley 13 54.35x
Cheetham 12 16.24x
Holbeck 12 21.89x
Clayton 10 49.38x
Heckmondwike 10 37.58x
Walsall Foreign 10 6.87x
Wortley In Bramley 10 15.26x
Gate Fulford 9 46.58x
Hunslet 9 6.98x
Tadcaster West 9 137.40x
Thornhill 9 37.28x
Birmingham 8 1.14x
Hemsworth 8 168.42x
Hulme 8 3.87x
Plumstead 8 8.42x
Royton 8 26.39x
Soothill 8 26.76x
York St Lawrence 8 92.70x
Atherton 7 19.41x
Bishopwearmouth 7 3.28x
Faccombe 7 1111.11x
Headingley Cum Burley 7 13.14x
Hipperholme Cum 7 19.25x
Sculcoates 7 5.34x
Barnoldswick 6 51.95x
Great Crosby 6 22.21x
Holtby 6 1538.46x
Horwich 6 55.50x
Jesmond 6 34.32x
Lewes St Ann 6 125.26x
Liverpool 6 1.00x
Newington 6 1.95x
Pendleton In Salford 6 5.08x
Runcorn 6 14.12x
Tonge 6 28.86x
West Clayton 6 145.99x
Barnsley 5 5.86x
Dawdon 5 16.36x
Norland 5 88.03x
Ossett Cum Gawthorpe 5 16.91x
Stainland Cum Old 5 35.31x
Thornton In Bradford 5 18.15x
Wandsworth 5 6.22x
West Bretton 5 500.00x
Bridlington 4 21.12x
Clerkenwell London 4 2.03x
Cwmcarvan 4 579.71x
Hackney London 4 0.85x
Handsworth 4 5.76x
Holdenhurst 4 8.91x
Liversedge 4 10.86x
Poulton Le Fylde 4 113.64x
Sheffield 4 1.52x
Skircoat 4 12.26x
Wooldale 4 28.51x
Beverley St Mary 3 24.83x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 3 10.60x
Chadderton 3 6.19x
Elland Cum Greetland 3 8.05x
Holy Trinity 3 1.51x
Islington London 3 0.37x
Ryde 3 8.16x
Sowerby In Halifax 3 11.09x
St Luke London 3 2.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 47
William 31
James 28
George 22
Henry 17
Thomas 17
Joseph 16
Charles 15
Arthur 12
Alfred 8
Fred 8
Herbert 8
Ernest 7
Harry 7
Richard 7
Walter 7
Benjamin 6
Francis 6
Joshua 6
Sam 6
Albert 5
Edward 5
Percy 5
Samuel 5
Edwin 4
Frank 4
Robert 4
Clement 3
David 3
Edgar 3
Frederick 3
Geo. 3
Isaac 3
Tom 3
Wm. 3
Abraham 2
Ben 2
Cottrell 2
Harold 2
Hubert 2
Jesse 2
Jno. 2
Lewis 2
Squire 2
Stuart 2
Wilfred 2
Willie 2
Cecil 1
Earnest 1
Ernie 1

FAQ

Scholefield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Scholefield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 860 people were recorded with the Scholefield surname. That placed it at #4,399 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Scholefield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 644 in 2016. That gives Scholefield a modern rank of #8,237.

What does the Scholefield surname mean?

Derived from a habitation name of Old English origin, referring to a field associated with a school or church.

What does the Scholefield map show?

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