UK surname
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a spring or a field with a spring.
In the 1881 census there were 99 people recorded with the Springfield surname, ranking it #19,877 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 86, ranked #32,570, down from #19,877 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to St George Tombland, St Peter Mountergate, St John Timberhill, All Saints, St Michael at Thorn, St Ju, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Springfield is 116 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 13.1%.
1881 census count
99
Ranked #19,877
Modern count
86
2016, ranked #32,570
Peak year
1901
116 bearers
Map years
3
1891 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Springfield surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Springfield surname density by area, 1911 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 95 | #17,707 |
| 1861 | historical | 95 | #21,768 |
| 1881 | historical | 99 | #19,877 |
| 1891 | historical | 115 | #21,878 |
| 1901 | historical | 116 | #20,933 |
| 1911 | historical | 109 | #21,611 |
| 1997 | modern | 58 | #31,831 |
| 1998 | modern | 62 | #31,735 |
| 1999 | modern | 60 | #32,078 |
| 2000 | modern | 58 | #32,317 |
| 2001 | modern | 53 | #32,674 |
| 2002 | modern | 56 | #32,753 |
| 2003 | modern | 58 | #32,619 |
| 2004 | modern | 57 | #32,968 |
| 2005 | modern | 62 | #32,708 |
| 2006 | modern | 69 | #32,343 |
| 2007 | modern | 65 | #33,045 |
| 2008 | modern | 65 | #33,303 |
| 2009 | modern | 71 | #33,102 |
| 2010 | modern | 73 | #33,249 |
| 2011 | modern | 72 | #33,323 |
| 2012 | modern | 67 | #33,840 |
| 2013 | modern | 76 | #33,329 |
| 2014 | modern | 79 | #33,205 |
| 2015 | modern | 82 | #32,911 |
| 2016 | modern | 86 | #32,570 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around St George Tombland, St Peter Mountergate, St John Timberhill, All Saints, St Michael at Thorn, St Ju, London parishes, St Pancras, St George the Martyr, St Andrew Holborn above the Bars, Furnival's Inn and Wisbech St Peter. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | St George Tombland, St Peter Mountergate, St John Timberhill, All Saints, St Michael at Thorn, St Ju | Norfolk |
| 2 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 3 | St Pancras | London (North Districts) |
| 4 | St George the Martyr, St Andrew Holborn above the Bars, Furnival's Inn | London (Central Districts) |
| 5 | Wisbech St Peter | Cambridgeshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Springfield surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Springfield, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Springfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Springfield household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Springfield is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Springfield is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Springfield, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Springfield is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "spring" and "feld," meaning a field or meadow where a spring or stream is located. It is a locational surname, indicating that the earliest bearers of the name lived near such a field or meadow.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the 13th century, with mentions in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire and the Feet of Fines for Essex in the late 1200s. These records often spelled the name in various ways, such as Springfeld, Spryngfeld, or Springfild.
During the Middle Ages, the Springfield surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Warwickshire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire, where several places shared similar names, such as Springfield near Wolverhampton and Springfield near Kidderminster.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John de Springfeld, who was listed in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. Another early record is that of Richard de Spryngfeld, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332.
Historically, the Springfield surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One such person was Thomas Springfield (c. 1551-1599), an English dramatist and poet who wrote plays for the Lord Admiral's Men theatre company in London during the Elizabethan era.
William Springfield (1610-1678) was a prominent English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Wilsford in Lincolnshire and published several religious works in the 17th century.
In the 18th century, John Springfield (1737-1821) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and later became a respected hydrographer and surveyor.
Another notable figure was Robert Springfield (1807-1876), a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.
Samuel Springfield (1822-1892) was an English artist and illustrator known for his detailed etchings and engravings of architectural subjects, particularly churches and cathedrals across Britain.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Springfield surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Norfolk leads with 43 Springfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.96x.
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Norwich St George Colegate in Norfolk leads with 9 Springfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 1666.67x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Norwich St George Colegate | 9 | 1666.67x |
| Heigham | 8 | 100.38x |
| St Andrew Holborn | 6 | 183.49x |
| Norwich St Michael At | 5 | 581.40x |
| St Luke London | 5 | 32.28x |
| Wisbech St Peter | 5 | 162.87x |
| Camberwell | 4 | 6.49x |
| Erpingham | 4 | 3333.33x |
| Lakenham | 4 | 189.57x |
| Lambeth | 4 | 4.75x |
| Penge | 4 | 64.83x |
| Chatham | 3 | 33.11x |
| Clase | 3 | 48.00x |
| Norwich St Martin At Oak | 3 | 333.33x |
| Norwich St Peter Mancroft | 3 | 400.00x |
| Stoke | 3 | 135.14x |
| Battersea | 2 | 5.63x |
| Hove | 2 | 28.01x |
| Kensington London | 2 | 3.73x |
| Norwich St Clement | 2 | 116.28x |
| Aylsham | 1 | 113.64x |
| Bristol St James St Paul | 1 | 15.85x |
| Caterham | 1 | 48.08x |
| Cheltenham | 1 | 6.84x |
| Cuckfield | 1 | 60.98x |
| March | 1 | 48.78x |
| Norwich St Mary In Marsh | 1 | 588.24x |
| Norwich St Stephen | 1 | 73.53x |
| Owlpen | 1 | 2500.00x |
| Plymouth Charles The | 1 | 11.30x |
| Portsea | 1 | 2.58x |
| Salisbury St Edmund | 1 | 72.99x |
| St George Hanover | 1 | 7.94x |
| St Giles In Fields | 1 | 30.03x |
| Stoke Ferry | 1 | 434.78x |
| Thorpe Next Norwich | 1 | 63.69x |
| West Ham | 1 | 2.38x |
| Westminster St James | 1 | 10.07x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Springfield surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Springfield surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Springfield households.
FAQ
In 1881, 99 people were recorded with the Springfield surname. That placed it at #19,877 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 86 in 2016. That gives Springfield a modern rank of #32,570.
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a spring or a field with a spring.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Springfield bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.