2000
#11,795
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,432
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Layfield
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "field with a meadow or clearing."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,844 Americans carry the last name Layfield. That puts it at #12,015 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 120,518 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Layfield 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 Layfield with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 120,518
Census rank
#12,015
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,480 bearers of the surname Layfield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12015th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Layfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Layfield
The surname Layfield has its roots in England, dating back to the late 12th century. It is a locational name, derived from the Old English words "lēah," meaning a meadow or clearing, and "feld," meaning a field or open land. The name likely originated in various areas where such meadows or clearings existed.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where a person named Robert de Layfeld is listed. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century in the county of Lincolnshire.
In the 13th century, the name was also found in various forms such as Leghfeld, Leighfeld, and Layfelde, reflecting the different spellings and pronunciations of the time. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 record a John de Leyfeld in Oxfordshire, while the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 mention a William de Leghfeld in Yorkshire.
By the 14th century, the name had solidified into its modern spelling of Layfield. The Poll Tax Records of 1379 list several individuals with this surname, including John Layfeld in Yorkshire and William Layfeld in Lincolnshire.
One notable figure bearing this name was Sir John Layfield (c. 1570-1617), an English diplomat and politician who served as Ambassador to the Netherlands and held various positions in the court of King James I.
Other historical figures with the Layfield surname include:
1. William Layfield (1612-1701), an English clergyman and academic who served as President of St. John's College, Oxford.
2. Nathaniel Layfield (1619-1670), an English Puritan clergyman and author known for his writings on religious topics.
3. Edward Layfield (1674-1737), an English architect and builder who worked on various projects in London and surrounding areas.
4. Thomas Layfield (1771-1851), an English engraver and cartographer known for his maps and topographical engravings.
Throughout its history, the Layfield surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Layfield in Lincolnshire and Layfield Farm in Oxfordshire, further reinforcing its locational origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Layfield
Among Census respondents with the surname Layfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Layfield 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 Layfield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.2% · 2,163
- Black or African American5.9% · 146
- Two or more races3.6% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Layfield
Layfield 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
#11,946
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,617
+185 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 151 places
2020
#12,015
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,480
-137 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 69 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,795 | 2,432 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,946 | 2,617 | 0.89 | +185 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 151 places |
| 2020 | #12,015 | 2,480 | 0.83 | -137 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 69 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 Layfield 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 | #11,946 | #12,015 | -0.6% |
| Count | 2,617 | 2,480 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.83 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Layfield bearers went from 2,617 to 2,480 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 69 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,946 to #12,015.
FAQ
Layfield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Layfield?
Name Census estimates that about 2,844 living Americans carry the surname Layfield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 120,518 residents.
How common is Layfield?
Layfield ranks #12,015 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,480 people with the surname Layfield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,844), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.83 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Layfield.
Has Layfield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Layfield went from 2,617 recorded bearers to 2,480. That is a decrease of 137 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,946 to #12,015.
What does the Census say about the background of Layfield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Layfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) 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 Layfield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (2,163 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Layfield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.2%), Black (5.9%), 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 Layfield (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 Layfield mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "field with a meadow or clearing." 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 Layfield (0.83 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 Layfield?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.