2000
#7,631
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,015
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.49
Rare Last name
Duffield
Habitational surname derived from places in Derbyshire and East Yorkshire, England, likely referring to a field frequented by doves.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,421 Americans carry the last name Duffield. That puts it at #8,230 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,529 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Duffield 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 Duffield with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 77,529
Census rank
#8,230
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,855 bearers of the surname Duffield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8230th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Duffield, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Black (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Duffield
The surname Duffield originates from England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the place name Duffield, which means "the field by the little hill" in Old English, combining the words "dun" meaning hill and "feld" meaning field.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Duffield appears in the Pipe Rolls of Derbyshire in 1176, referring to a person named William de Duffeld. The name is also found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which lists people by their place of residence.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name Duffield was primarily concentrated in the counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire, where several villages and hamlets bear the name Duffield. This suggests that the surname likely originated from one of these locations.
Notable individuals with the surname Duffield include Sir William Duffield (c. 1587-1670), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Derby in the 17th century. Another was Sir Ralph Duffield (1614-1677), an English politician and landowner who served as Sheriff of Derbyshire in 1660.
In the 16th century, a variant spelling of the name, Duffeild, is recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Derbyshire. This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that time period.
John Duffield (1832-1895) was a prominent English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century. He was known for his exceptional batting skills and holds the record for the highest individual score in a first-class match for Nottinghamshire, scoring 238 runs against Surrey in 1884.
Another notable individual was Benjamin Duffield (1816-1887), an English Methodist minister and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects and served as the President of the Wesleyan Conference in 1877.
Overall, the surname Duffield has a rich history deeply rooted in the landscape and communities of central England, particularly in the counties of Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Duffield
Among Census respondents with the surname Duffield, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Black (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Duffield 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 Duffield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 3,368
- Two or more races4.7% · 183
- Black or African American3.3% · 128
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 111
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Duffield
Duffield 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
#8,271
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,009
-6 bearers (-0.1%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Down 640 places
2020
#8,230
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,855
-154 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Up 41 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,631 | 4,015 | 1.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,271 | 4,009 | 1.36 | -6 bearers (-0.1%) | Down 640 places |
| 2020 | #8,230 | 3,855 | 1.29 | -154 bearers (-3.8%) | Up 41 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 Duffield 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 | #8,271 | #8,230 | 0.5% |
| Count | 4,009 | 3,855 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.36 | 1.29 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Duffield bearers went from 4,009 to 3,855 (-3.8% change). The surname moved up 41 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,271 to #8,230.
FAQ
Duffield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Duffield?
Name Census estimates that about 4,421 living Americans carry the surname Duffield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,529 residents.
How common is Duffield?
Duffield ranks #8,230 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 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 3,855 people with the surname Duffield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,421), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 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 Duffield.
Has Duffield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Duffield went from 4,009 recorded bearers to 3,855. That is a decrease of 154 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,271 to #8,230.
What does the Census say about the background of Duffield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Duffield, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Black (3.3%). 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 Duffield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (3,368 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Duffield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Black (3.3%). 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 Duffield (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 Duffield mean?
Habitational surname derived from places in Derbyshire and East Yorkshire, England, likely referring to a field frequented by doves. 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 Duffield (1.29 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 are called Duffield?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Duffield on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.