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

Schofield, 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 Schofield surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Schofield in America

Schofield is the 2822nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Schofield surname appeared 12,790 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Schofield.

We can also compare 2010 data for Schofield 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 Schofield

The surname Schofield is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "sceaga" meaning a small wood or grove, and "feld" meaning an open field or clearing. It is a locational surname, which means it was originally given to someone who lived near a small wood or grove in an open field or clearing.

The name is believed to have originated in the county of Lancashire, England, where it was first recorded in the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332, where it was spelled as "Scholefelde".

In the Domesday Book, a medieval manuscript recording landholdings in England, there are several references to places with names similar to Schofield, such as "Scolefeld" and "Scholefelt", which likely contributed to the development of the surname.

One notable bearer of the surname was John Schofield (1782-1855), a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and the Peninsular War. He was awarded the Army Gold Cross for his bravery during the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Another famous Schofield was Sir John Schofield (1892-1971), a British naval officer and Admiral of the Fleet during World War II. He played a significant role in the Battle of the Atlantic and was later appointed as the First Sea Lord, the professional head of the Royal Navy.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname was in Virginia in the 17th century. John Schofield (1632-1689) was an English colonist who settled in Accomack County, Virginia, and served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses.

James Schofield (1776-1853) was an American politician and lawyer from Pennsylvania, who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1843 to 1847.

Another notable American with the surname was John McAllister Schofield (1831-1906), a Union Army general during the American Civil War. He played a significant role in several major battles, including the Battle of Franklin and the Battle of Nashville, and later became the 28th United States Secretary of War from 1868 to 1869.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Schofield

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

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

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

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