2000
#8,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,778
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.40
Rare Last name
Birchfield
A locational surname derived from any of the various places named Birchfield, referring to a field of birch trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,144 Americans carry the last name Birchfield. That puts it at #8,710 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 82,711 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Birchfield 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.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 82,711
Census rank
#8,710
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,614 bearers of the surname Birchfield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8710th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Birchfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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 This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, serves as a comprehensive record of landowners and their properties across England.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Birchfield
Among Census respondents with the surname Birchfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Birchfield 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 Birchfield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.1% · 3,112
- Black or African American5.0% · 182
- Two or more races4.9% · 178
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 101
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Birchfield
Birchfield 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
#8,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,852
+74 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Down 469 places
2020
#8,710
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,614
-238 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 159 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,082 | 3,778 | 1.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,551 | 3,852 | 1.31 | +74 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 469 places |
| 2020 | #8,710 | 3,614 | 1.21 | -238 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 159 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 Birchfield 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 | #8,551 | #8,710 | -1.9% |
| Count | 3,852 | 3,614 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.31 | 1.21 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Birchfield bearers went from 3,852 to 3,614 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 159 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,551 to #8,710.
FAQ
Birchfield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Birchfield?
Name Census estimates that about 4,144 living Americans carry the surname Birchfield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 82,711 residents.
How common is Birchfield?
Birchfield ranks #8,710 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.21 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,614 people with the surname Birchfield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,144), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.21 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Birchfield.
Has Birchfield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Birchfield went from 3,852 recorded bearers to 3,614. That is a decrease of 238 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,551 to #8,710.
What does the Census say about the background of Birchfield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Birchfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.1%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Birchfield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.1% (3,112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Birchfield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.1%), Black (5.0%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Birchfield (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 Birchfield mean?
A locational surname derived from any of the various places named Birchfield, referring to a field of birch trees. 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 Birchfield (1.21 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 share the surname Birchfield?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.