2000
#7,198
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,276
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.59
Rare Last name
Litchfield
From the Old English words "lēac" meaning leek and "feld" meaning field, referring to a leek field.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,800 Americans carry the last name Litchfield. That puts it at #7,620 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,407 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Litchfield 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 Litchfield with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 71,407
Census rank
#7,620
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,186 bearers of the surname Litchfield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7620th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Litchfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Litchfield
The surname Litchfield originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the town of Litchfield, located in Staffordshire. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "líc" meaning body or corpse, and "feld" meaning field or open land.
The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as "Lecfelde." This suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. The spelling variations over time include Lychfeld, Lichfelde, and Lychfyld.
One of the earliest notable bearers of the name was Sir John Litchfield (c. 1300 - 1376), a knight and landowner from Staffordshire. He served as the High Sheriff of Staffordshire in 1342 and was a prominent figure in the local community.
Another historical figure was Richard Litchfield (c. 1480 - 1542), a clergyman and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Middlesex. He was known for his work in translating and publishing several religious texts.
In the 16th century, a branch of the Litchfield family settled in Oxfordshire, where they became prominent landowners. Sir William Litchfield (1537 - 1608) was a notable member of this branch, serving as a Member of Parliament and holding various positions within the local government.
During the English Civil War, Colonel Ralph Litchfield (1610 - 1675) fought on the Parliamentarian side and was known for his role in the siege of Oxford in 1646.
In the 18th century, Samuel Litchfield (1712 - 1782) was a prominent merchant and philanthropist in London. He made significant contributions to various charitable organizations and was a benefactor of several schools and universities.
While the name Litchfield has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration to North America and other English-speaking countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Litchfield
Among Census respondents with the surname Litchfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Litchfield 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 Litchfield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 3,851
- Two or more races2.9% · 120
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 113
- Black or African American1.2% · 52
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Litchfield
Litchfield 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
#7,737
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,290
+14 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Down 539 places
2020
#7,620
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,186
-104 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Up 117 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,198 | 4,276 | 1.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,737 | 4,290 | 1.45 | +14 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 539 places |
| 2020 | #7,620 | 4,186 | 1.40 | -104 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 117 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 Litchfield 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 | #7,737 | #7,620 | 1.5% |
| Count | 4,290 | 4,186 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.45 | 1.40 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Litchfield bearers went from 4,290 to 4,186 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 117 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,737 to #7,620.
FAQ
Litchfield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Litchfield?
Name Census estimates that about 4,800 living Americans carry the surname Litchfield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,407 residents.
How common is Litchfield?
Litchfield ranks #7,620 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.40 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 4,186 people with the surname Litchfield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,800), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.40 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 Litchfield.
Has Litchfield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Litchfield went from 4,290 recorded bearers to 4,186. That is a decrease of 104 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,737 to #7,620.
What does the Census say about the background of Litchfield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Litchfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Litchfield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (3,851 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Litchfield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Litchfield (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 Litchfield mean?
From the Old English words "lēac" meaning leek and "feld" meaning field, referring to a leek field. 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 Litchfield (1.40 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 Litchfield?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.