2000
#2,622
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,670
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.70
Uncommon Last name
Barfield
A locational surname referring to someone who lived on a barley field or worked as a barley farmer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,784 Americans carry the last name Barfield. That puts it at #2,926 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,866 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barfield surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Barfield with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,866
Census rank
#2,926
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,020 bearers of the surname Barfield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2926th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.9%. The next largest groups are Black (24.2%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barfield
The surname Barfield has its origins in England and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words 'bær', meaning 'barley', and 'feld', meaning 'field', indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a barley field or worked with barley cultivation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Barefeld'. This historic document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, recorded the names of landowners and their holdings across England.
During the 13th century, the name evolved into various spellings, such as 'Barfeld', 'Barfelde', and 'Barfeild', reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. These variations can be found in various historical records, including parish registers and court rolls.
Barfield is also associated with several place names in England, such as Barfield in Hampshire and Barfield in Oxfordshire. These place names likely contributed to the development of the surname, as individuals were often identified by their place of origin or residence.
Among the notable individuals who bore the Barfield surname throughout history are:
1. Richard Barfield (c. 1510-1579), an English Protestant reformer and clergyman who played a significant role in the English Reformation.
2. Owen Barfield (1898-1997), a British philosopher, author, and member of the Inklings literary group, which included J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.
3. Samuel Barfield (1688-1766), an English clergyman and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects.
4. Thomas Barfield (1619-1677), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Charles II.
5. John Barfield (1776-1832), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy and participated in various battles during the Napoleonic Wars.
As the centuries passed, the Barfield surname continued to be found across various regions of England, reflecting the migration and settlement patterns of those who bore the name. While its origins can be traced back to the early medieval period, the surname has endured and remained a part of English heritage and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barfield
Among Census respondents with the surname Barfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.9%. The next largest groups are Black (24.2%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Barfield bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Barfield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.9% · 8,040
- Black or African American24.2% · 2,908
- Two or more races4.5% · 541
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 396
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 67
Timeline
Historical Census data for Barfield
Barfield appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,737
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,165
+495 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 4.46
Rank movement Down 115 places
2020
#2,926
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,020
-1,145 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 4.02
Rank movement Down 189 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,622 | 12,670 | 4.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,737 | 13,165 | 4.46 | +495 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 115 places |
| 2020 | #2,926 | 12,020 | 4.02 | -1,145 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 189 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Barfield surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,737 | #2,926 | -6.9% |
| Count | 13,165 | 12,020 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 4.46 | 4.02 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Barfield bearers went from 13,165 to 12,020 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 189 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,737 to #2,926.
FAQ
Barfield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Barfield?
Name Census estimates that about 13,784 living Americans carry the surname Barfield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,866 residents.
How common is Barfield?
Barfield ranks #2,926 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,020 people with the surname Barfield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,784), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Barfield.
Has Barfield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Barfield went from 13,165 recorded bearers to 12,020. That is a decrease of 1,145 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,737 to #2,926.
What does the Census say about the background of Barfield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.9%. The next largest groups are Black (24.2%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Barfield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.9% (8,040 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Barfield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.9%), Black (24.2%), Two or More Races (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Barfield (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Barfield mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived on a barley field or worked as a barley farmer. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Barfield (4.02 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Barfield?
See how many people have the last name Barfield on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.