Chesterfield
A derived English name referring to a field near the town of Chester.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Chesterfield. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Chesterfield today is around 87 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chesterfield births was 1927 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chesterfield. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Chesterfield is about 87 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Chesterfields were born before 1949.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Chesterfield. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1927
8 babies that year
Average age
87
years old
1953 SSA rank
#3,900
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Chesterfield: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chesterfield from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 19 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chesterfield by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Chesterfield during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Chesterfield
The name Chesterfield has its origins in Old English, dating back to the 7th century AD. It is a locational surname derived from the town of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, England. The name is composed of two elements: "cestre," which comes from the Old English word "ceaster," meaning a Roman fortified town or camp, and "feld," meaning an open field or pasture.
In its earliest form, the name was spelled "Cestrefeld" or "Cesterfeld," reflecting the Old English pronunciation. As the language evolved, the spelling gradually changed to the modern form of "Chesterfield." This name was likely given to individuals who hailed from or lived near the town of Chesterfield.
The town of Chesterfield itself has a rich history dating back to the Roman era. It was an important settlement along the Roman road known as Ryknield Street, which connected the Roman cities of Derby and York. The name "Chesterfield" is believed to have originated during this period, reflecting the town's strategic location and Roman influence.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Chesterfield can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named "Walchelinus de Cesterfeld," indicating the presence of the name in the 11th century.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Chesterfield. One of the most famous was Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield (1694-1773), a British statesman and author renowned for his wit and eloquence. His "Letters to His Son" became a classic work on etiquette and manners.
Another notable bearer of the name was George Stanhope, 7th Earl of Chesterfield (1805-1866), a British politician and diplomat who served as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. He played a significant role in the Crimean War and was involved in the negotiations that led to the Treaty of Paris in 1856.
In the literary world, Lord Chesterfield (Philip Dormer Stanhope) is remembered for his influential writings on politeness and good manners, which have had a lasting impact on social etiquette.
Sir Humphry Chetham (1580-1653), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from Manchester, England, bore the name Chetham, a variant spelling of Chesterfield. He founded Chetham's Hospital and Library, one of the oldest public libraries in Britain.
Finally, Chesterfield Inlet, a large inlet in the northern territory of Nunavut, Canada, was named after Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, highlighting the geographical reach and influence of this historical name.
People
Chesterfield + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chesterfield as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chesterfield: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chesterfield?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chesterfield going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Chesterfield a common name?
We classify Chesterfield as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 39 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chesterfield most popular?
The single biggest year for Chesterfield was 1927, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chesterfield is about 87 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Chesterfield in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Chesterfield a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chesterfield in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Chesterfield still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Chesterfield in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Chesterfield can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Chesterfield as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.