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

Fields, 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 Fields surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fields in America

Fields is the 288th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fields surname appeared 107,522 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 36 people would have the surname Fields.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fields 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 Fields

The surname Fields originated in England. It is a topographic surname that refers to a person who lived near an open field or clearing in a wooded area. The name likely developed around the 11th century and is derived from the Old English word "feld," meaning an open space or pasture.

The surname can be found in early records, such as the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de la Felde." This early spelling reflects the French Norman influence on English names following the Norman Conquest of 1066.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is William del Feld, who is mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1195. Another early record is that of John atte Felde, found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.

The Fields surname is also connected to various place names in England, such as Field Town in Shropshire and Field Dalling in Norfolk. These place names likely originated from the Old English words "feld" and "dæl," meaning a field or valley.

Notable individuals with the surname Fields include the following:

1. Walter Fields (c. 1535-1616), an English Puritan minister and one of the first settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
2. Nathaniel Fields (1587-1633), an English playwright and actor during the Jacobean era.
3. Mary Fields (c. 1832-1914), an African-American woman who worked as a mail carrier and stagecoach driver in the American West, known as "Stagecoach Mary."
4. W.C. Fields (1880-1946), an American comedian, actor, and writer, best known for his comic persona as a misanthropic and hard-drinking con man.
5. Artur Fielding (1905-1991), a Polish-born British actor who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout the mid-20th century.

The surname Fields continues to be widespread in English-speaking countries, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom, reflecting its long history and origins in the English language and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fields

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

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

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

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