2000
#1,329
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,374
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.04
Uncommon Last name
Field
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived or worked on land that had been cleared for cultivation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 26,860 Americans carry the last name Field. That puts it at #1,486 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,761 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Field 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 Field with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
27K
1 in 12,761
Census rank
#1,486
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 23,423 bearers of the surname Field in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1486th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Field, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Field
The surname Field is an English locational name derived from the Old English word 'feld', meaning a pasture or an open area of land. It originated in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Derbyshire, where the name was first recorded in the late 11th century.
The earliest known record of the surname Field can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'de la Felde' or 'atte Felde'. This suggests that the name was initially used to identify individuals who lived near or worked on open fields or pastures.
In the 13th century, the surname Field began to appear in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it was spelled as 'Feld' and 'Felde'. Other variants of the name included 'Feild', 'Feyld', and 'Fielde'.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Field was William de la Felde, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1199. Another notable individual was John atte Felde, a prominent landowner in Essex, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname Field became more widespread throughout England. Several place names, such as Field Place in Sussex and Field House in Yorkshire, were derived from the surname, reflecting the prominence of families bearing this name in those areas.
Notable individuals with the surname Field include:
1. John Field (1782-1837), an Irish composer and pianist, known for his nocturnes and his influence on Frédéric Chopin.
2. Cyrus W. Field (1819-1892), an American businessman and financier, best known for his efforts in laying the first successful transatlantic telegraph cable.
3. Eugene Field (1850-1895), an American writer and poet, best known for his children's poetry, including the famous "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod".
4. Marshall Field (1835-1906), an American entrepreneur and the founder of the Marshall Field and Company department store chain.
5. Mary Field (1870-1968), an American painter and illustrator, known for her portraits and landscapes.
In summary, the surname Field has its roots in the Old English language and originated as a locational name in various regions of England. It has a long and rich history, with records dating back to the Domesday Book, and has been borne by notable individuals in various fields, from music and literature to business and art.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Field
Among Census respondents with the surname Field, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Field 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 Field surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 20,622
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 859
- Two or more races3.6% · 837
- Black or African American2.9% · 689
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 281
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 135
Timeline
Historical Census data for Field
Field 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
#1,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,543
+169 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 8.32
Rank movement Down 123 places
2020
#1,486
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,423
-1,120 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 7.84
Rank movement Down 34 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,329 | 24,374 | 9.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,452 | 24,543 | 8.32 | +169 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 123 places |
| 2020 | #1,486 | 23,423 | 7.84 | -1,120 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 34 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 Field 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 | #1,452 | #1,486 | -2.3% |
| Count | 24,543 | 23,423 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 8.32 | 7.84 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Field bearers went from 24,543 to 23,423 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 34 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,452 to #1,486.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Field
FAQ
Field surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Field?
Name Census estimates that about 26,860 living Americans carry the surname Field. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,761 residents.
How common is Field?
Field ranks #1,486 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.84 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 23,423 people with the surname Field. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (26,860), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.84 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Field.
Has Field become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Field went from 24,543 recorded bearers to 23,423. That is a decrease of 1,120 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,452 to #1,486.
What does the Census say about the background of Field?
Among Census respondents with the surname Field, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Field in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (20,622 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Field appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Field (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 Field mean?
An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived or worked on land that had been cleared for cultivation. 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 Field (7.84 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 Americans have the surname Field?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.