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

Orfield, 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 Orfield surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Orfield in America

Orfield is the 52169th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Orfield surname appeared 398 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 Orfield.

We can also compare 2010 data for Orfield 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 Orfield

The surname Orfield originated in England during the late medieval period, around the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from a location name, possibly a small village or farmstead, that has since been lost to history. The name may have evolved from the Old English words "ór" meaning "edge" or "border" and "feld" meaning "field," suggesting the name referred to a field or land area near a boundary.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Orfield name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, where a William Orfeld is listed as a taxpayer. The variant spelling "Orfelde" also appears in the Hertfordshire Feet of Fines from 1347, indicating the name's presence in that region.

During the 14th century, the Orfield surname began to spread throughout England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in counties such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Oxfordshire. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334 for Oxfordshire list a John Orfelde as a resident.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the Orfield surname was Robert Orfield, a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol. Born around 1520, he played an important role in the economic and civic affairs of the city during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another significant individual was Sir Samuel Orfield, a prominent lawyer and judge who lived from 1628 to 1698. He served as a justice of the Court of King's Bench and was appointed to the Privy Council under King Charles II.

In the 18th century, the Orfield family had established roots in various parts of England. One member, Thomas Orfield (1702-1786), was a scholar and Fellow of the Royal Society, known for his contributions to the study of mathematics and astronomy.

Moving into the 19th century, the Reverend William Orfield (1810-1887) was a notable clergyman and author who served as the vicar of St. Mary's Church in Marylebone, London, and wrote several religious works.

Another notable figure was Sir Robert Orfield (1845-1921), a successful businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the textile industry. He was knighted for his charitable contributions and support of various social and educational causes.

Throughout its history, the Orfield surname has been relatively uncommon, but it has maintained a presence across various regions of England, with families carrying on the name and contributing to various fields and professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Orfield

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

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

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

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