Find out how popular the last name Birchfield is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Birchfield.

Birchfield, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Birchfield surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Birchfield in America

Birchfield is the 8551st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Birchfield surname appeared 3,852 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Birchfield.

We can also compare 2010 data for Birchfield to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Birchfield

The surname Birchfield has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational name that derives from the Old English words "birce" meaning birch tree and "feld" meaning field or open land. This suggests that the name was initially given to individuals who resided near an area abundant with birch trees.

The earliest recorded mention of the name Birchfield can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Birchefeld" in the county of Staffordshire. This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, serves as a comprehensive record of landowners and their properties across England.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Byrchfeld" and "Burchfeld," reflecting the evolution of spelling conventions over time. One notable individual from this era was Richard de Burchfeld, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1273.

In the 16th century, the name Birchfield gained prominence with the birth of John Birchfield (1530-1598), a renowned scholar and theologian from Oxford. He was known for his contributions to the study of ancient texts and his work in translating Greek and Latin manuscripts.

Another prominent figure bearing the Birchfield name was Sir Thomas Birchfield (1645-1718), a prominent landowner and member of Parliament for the borough of Stafford. He played a significant role in local politics during the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

The name Birchfield has also been associated with several places in England, such as Birchfield in Birmingham and Birchfield in Staffordshire. These locations likely derived their names from the same linguistic roots as the surname, reflecting the historical connection between the name and the geographical features of the region.

Other notable individuals with the surname Birchfield include William Birchfield (1792-1858), a renowned botanist and explorer who made significant contributions to the study of flora in the American West, and Emily Birchfield (1867-1944), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Birchfield

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Birchfield.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Birchfield was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Birchfield has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Birchfield was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Birchfield, please contact us.

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