2000
#2,884
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,427
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.24
Uncommon Last name
Canfield
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "open field frequented by canes or reeds."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,648 Americans carry the last name Canfield. That puts it at #3,197 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 27,099 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Canfield 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 Canfield with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 27,099
Census rank
#3,197
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,030 bearers of the surname Canfield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3197th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Canfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Canfield
The surname Canfield originated in England and has its roots in the Old English words "canu" meaning "cane" or "reed" and "feld" meaning "field." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked in a field of reeds or canes.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 12th century in various counties across England, including Essex, Hertfordshire, and Warwickshire. It was initially spelled in various ways, such as Canenfeld, Canunfeld, and Canefelde.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William de Canefelde, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Hertfordshire in 1166. Another notable early record is that of Robert de Canfeld, who was listed in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272.
The Canfield surname is also associated with several place names across England, including Canfield in Essex and Canfield in Derbyshire. These locations likely derived their names from the Old English words that formed the basis of the surname.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Canfield. One such individual was Benedict Canfield (1562-1611), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of King James I for his religious beliefs.
Another prominent Canfield was Cuthbert Canfield (1619-1689), an English mathematician and clergyman who served as the Rector of the Church of St. Martin's in Hereford. He is known for his work on logarithms and his contributions to the field of mathematics.
In the United States, the Canfield family trace their roots back to Thomas Canfield (1601-1668), who immigrated from England to Milford, Connecticut in the 1630s. His descendants went on to settle in various parts of the country, including New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
One notable American Canfield was Arthur Graves Canfield (1859-1920), a lawyer and philanthropist from Ohio. He served as the President of the Ohio State University Board of Trustees and was instrumental in the establishment of the Canfield Training School for Children, a pioneering institution in the field of special education.
Another Canfield of note was Pauline Canfield (1867-1924), an American author and poet who wrote several works of fiction and non-fiction, including the novel The Custody of the Child and the poetry collection The Bride of the Mistletoe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Canfield
Among Census respondents with the surname Canfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Canfield 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 Canfield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 9,959
- Two or more races3.9% · 425
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 385
- Black or African American1.1% · 125
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 84
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 52
Timeline
Historical Census data for Canfield
Canfield 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
#3,117
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,560
+133 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 3.92
Rank movement Down 233 places
2020
#3,197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,030
-530 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 3.69
Rank movement Down 80 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,884 | 11,427 | 4.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,117 | 11,560 | 3.92 | +133 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 233 places |
| 2020 | #3,197 | 11,030 | 3.69 | -530 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 80 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 Canfield 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 | #3,117 | #3,197 | -2.6% |
| Count | 11,560 | 11,030 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 3.92 | 3.69 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Canfield bearers went from 11,560 to 11,030 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 80 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,117 to #3,197.
FAQ
Canfield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Canfield?
Name Census estimates that about 12,648 living Americans carry the surname Canfield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 27,099 residents.
How common is Canfield?
Canfield ranks #3,197 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.69 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 11,030 people with the surname Canfield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,648), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.69 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 Canfield.
Has Canfield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Canfield went from 11,560 recorded bearers to 11,030. That is a decrease of 530 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,117 to #3,197.
What does the Census say about the background of Canfield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Canfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Canfield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (9,959 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Canfield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Canfield (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 Canfield mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "open field frequented by canes or reeds." 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 Canfield (3.69 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 surname Canfield?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.