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

Gayfield, 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 Gayfield surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Gayfield in America

Gayfield is the 82908th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Gayfield surname appeared 227 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Gayfield.

We can also compare 2010 data for Gayfield 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 Gayfield

The surname GAYFIELD is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, dating back to around the 12th century. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name that likely referred to a field or meadow where people would gather for festivities or celebrations, possibly a "gay field."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where it appears as "Gayfelde." This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 12th century. Another early mention is found in the Curia Regis Rolls of Worcestershire in 1221, where it is spelled "Gayfelde."

During the 13th century, the name can be found in various records across different counties in England. For instance, the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1278 mention a "Robert de Gayfeld," while the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 record a "John de Gayfeld."

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname GAYFIELD was William Gayfield, who was born around 1350 in Nottinghamshire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a member of the local gentry. Another notable figure was John Gayfield, born circa 1420 in Oxfordshire, who was a merchant and alderman in the city of Oxford.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Warwick, where a Thomas Gayfield was baptized in 1567. Around the same time, a Richard Gayfield was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1572.

During the 17th century, the name can be found in various records across England, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of Yorkshire from 1672, which mention a William Gayfield. In the same century, a notable individual was Robert Gayfield, born in 1642 in Lincolnshire, who was a scholar and author of several works on theology and philosophy.

By the 18th century, the spelling of the name had largely settled on its modern form, "GAYFIELD." One notable bearer of the name during this period was Edward Gayfield, born in 1735 in Surrey, who was a respected lawyer and served as a judge in the Court of Common Pleas.

While the GAYFIELD surname is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich historical legacy that can be traced back to medieval England and various regions across the country. The name's origins and its evolution over the centuries reflect the diverse and fascinating stories woven into the fabric of English history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Gayfield

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!