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

Fairfield, 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 Fairfield surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fairfield in America

Fairfield is the 11904th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fairfield surname appeared 2,630 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 Fairfield.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fairfield 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 Fairfield

The surname Fairfield is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, with its roots tracing back to the 11th century. It is a locational name, derived from the Old English words "faeger" meaning fair or beautiful, and "feld" meaning a field or open area. This combination suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a particularly attractive or well-tended field.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Fairefelde" in Derbyshire. This ancient record provides valuable insight into the existence of the name during the Norman Conquest and the early days of England's recorded history.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms such as "Fayrfeld" and "Fairefelde" in county records across England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire. These early records indicate that the name was well-established in various regions of the country.

Notable individuals with the surname Fairfield include Thomas Fairfield (1592-1666), an English clergyman and writer who served as the rector of St. Andrew's Church in Ipswich, Suffolk. Another prominent figure was Humphrey Fairfield (1609-1681), a founder of the town of Fairfield, Connecticut, in the American colonies.

In the 18th century, William Fairfield (1714-1793) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. During the same period, John Fairfield (1797-1847) was an American politician who served as the 14th Governor of Maine from 1839 to 1843.

Moving into the 19th century, Sumner Fairfield (1835-1917) was an American educator and writer who served as the president of Hillsdale College in Michigan. He was known for his advocacy of classical education and his opposition to the growing influence of progressive education.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who carried the surname Fairfield throughout history, showcasing its presence and significance across various regions, professions, and time periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fairfield

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

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

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

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