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

Fielding, 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 Fielding surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fielding in America

Fielding is the 5700th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fielding surname appeared 6,081 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Fielding.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fielding 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 Fielding

The surname Fielding originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "feld," meaning a field or open area of land. The name was likely first adopted as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near or worked on a field.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Fielding can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a record of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "de Felding," indicating that some individuals were already using a locational surname based on their place of residence or land ownership.

Throughout the medieval period, the surname Fielding evolved into various spellings, including Feilding, Feylding, and Feyldyng. These variations reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping at the time. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Warwickshire, Staffordshire, and Derbyshire.

One notable figure with the surname Fielding was Raphael Holinshed (c. 1529-1580), an English chronicler and historian best known for his work "Holinshed's Chronicles," which was a major source for William Shakespeare's plays. The Fielding family also produced several notable writers, including Henry Fielding (1707-1754), the author of the novel "The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling," and his sister, Sarah Fielding (1710-1768), a novelist and playwright.

Another prominent individual with this surname was William Fielding (1587-1677), who served as the Earl of Denbigh and was a prominent military commander during the English Civil War. He played a significant role in the Parliamentarian cause and was known for his bravery in battle.

In the 18th century, the Fielding family established themselves as a prominent noble family in England. Basil Fielding, 2nd Earl of Denbigh (1665-1719), was a notable figure in this era, serving as a member of the Privy Council and holding various political and military positions.

The surname Fielding has also been associated with place names in England, such as Fielding, a village in Bedfordshire, and Fielding, a hamlet in Warwickshire. These locations likely derived their names from the surname or vice versa, reflecting the close connection between surnames and geographic locations in England's history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fielding

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

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

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

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