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

McField, 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 McField surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of McField in America

McField is the 34916th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The McField surname appeared 646 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 McField.

We can also compare 2010 data for McField 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 McField

The surname MCFIELD has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son of" and "field" referring to a clearing or open space in a wooded area. This suggests the earliest bearers of the name were likely associated with a particular field or clearing.

MCFIELD is believed to have first appeared in written records in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage pledges made to King Edward I of England. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was John McField, a landowner in Ayrshire, Scotland, in the mid-14th century.

During the Scottish Wars of Independence, several McFields are mentioned in chronicles and records of the time. Notably, Robert McField fought alongside Sir William Wallace at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, and later accompanied King Robert the Bruce during his campaigns against the English.

In the 16th century, the MCFIELD name spread to other parts of Scotland, with records showing individuals bearing the name in Aberdeen, Inverness, and the Highlands. One notable figure was Angus McField, a renowned poet and bard who lived in the late 1500s and was known for his praise of the MacDonald clan.

As the MCFIELD family expanded, different spellings emerged, including MacField, McFeild, and McFeyld. These variations were often influenced by local dialects and the preferences of individual scribes who recorded the name.

In the 17th century, several McFields emigrated to Ireland and later to the American colonies. One of the earliest settlers was William McField, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and established a successful tobacco plantation.

Other notable individuals with the MCFIELD surname include:

1. James McField (1798-1879), a Scottish philosopher and author who wrote extensively on ethics and moral philosophy.
2. Elizabeth McField (1820-1901), a British philanthropist and advocate for women's education, who founded several schools in London.
3. Alexander McField (1845-1923), a Canadian explorer and surveyor who mapped large portions of the Arctic region.
4. Margaret McField (1869-1945), an American suffragist and activist who fought for women's right to vote.
5. John McField (1901-1987), a renowned Scottish architect known for his innovative designs and use of modern materials.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name McField

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

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

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

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