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

Critchfield, 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 Critchfield surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Critchfield in America

Critchfield is the 13893rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Critchfield surname appeared 2,173 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 Critchfield.

We can also compare 2010 data for Critchfield 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 Critchfield

The surname Critchfield has its origins in England, likely emerging in the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from a place name such as Critchill or Crichel, which were small villages or hamlets in Dorset and Somerset. The name is thought to come from the Old English words "cric" or "crič," meaning a small creek or stream, and "hyll" or "hill," meaning a hill or elevated ground.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Dorset in 1327, where a John de Crichull is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of Wiltshire from 1273 also reference a Robert de Crichel. These early spellings, such as Crichull and Crichel, reflect the evolution of the name from its Old English roots.

In the 16th century, the surname appears in various records with slightly different spellings, including Critchfield, Critchfeild, and Critchfyld. One notable individual from this period was William Critchfield, born around 1530 in Dorset, who was a yeoman farmer and landowner.

The Critchfield surname is also associated with several notable figures throughout history. In the 17th century, John Critchfield (1615-1685) was an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Shalfleet on the Isle of Wight. Another individual of note was Richard Critchfield (1738-1821), a prominent American Revolutionary War soldier and politician from Virginia.

Moving into the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname continued to be found across England, with concentrations in areas like Dorset, Somerset, and Wiltshire. One notable individual from this era was George Critchfield (1823-1891), a British businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Birmingham.

Lastly, in the late 19th century, Thomas Critchfield (1856-1924) was an English-born American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the former headquarters of the United States Rubber Company.

While the Critchfield surname has its roots in specific regions of England, it has since spread across the globe, with descendants found in various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Critchfield

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

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 Critchfield 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 Critchfield 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 Critchfield was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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