2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Setchfield
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the Old English elements "sæc" meaning "dry ground" and "feld" meaning "field".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Setchfield. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Setchfield 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 Setchfield with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Setchfield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Setchfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Setchfield
The surname Setchfield is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place called Setchfield or a variation thereof, likely a small village or hamlet.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Setchfield can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a Willelmus de Sechesfeld is mentioned. This entry suggests that the name was already in use and established by the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the Setchfield surname appears in various historical records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379, where a Johannes Setchfeld is listed. This variation in spelling, Setchfeld, was likely a common occurrence in those times due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
During the 15th century, the Setchfield name can be found in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, from 1421. This record mentions a John Sechfeld, further reinforcing the connection of the surname to the Yorkshire region.
One notable figure bearing the Setchfield name was Sir Thomas Setchfield (1495-1568), a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for East Retford during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. His coat of arms, depicting three golden wheatsheaves on a blue field, is a testament to the family's historical significance.
Another individual of note was Robert Setchfield (1592-1668), a renowned English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Milton Abbot in Devonshire. His published works, including "The Christian's Charge" and "The Touchstone of Grace," provided valuable insights into the religious discourse of the time.
In the 17th century, the Setchfield surname is found in the Parish Registers of St. Martin's in Birmingham, with the baptism of John Setchfield recorded in 1631. This entry suggests the gradual spread of the name beyond its Yorkshire origins.
The 18th century saw the birth of William Setchfield (1732-1806), a renowned architect and surveyor who contributed to the design and construction of several notable buildings in London, including the iconic Somerset House.
As the name Setchfield continued to spread across England, it also found its way into literary works. One such example is the novel "The Setchfield Mystery" by John Galt, published in 1838, which featured characters bearing the surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Setchfield
Among Census respondents with the surname Setchfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Setchfield 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 Setchfield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 100
- Two or more races3.8% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Setchfield
Setchfield appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 807 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 807 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 Setchfield 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 | #151,532 | #152,339 | -0.5% |
| Count | 108 | 106 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Setchfield bearers went from 108 to 106 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 807 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #152,339.
FAQ
Setchfield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Setchfield?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Setchfield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Setchfield?
Setchfield ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Setchfield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Setchfield.
Has Setchfield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Setchfield went from 108 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Setchfield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Setchfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Setchfield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Setchfield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Setchfield (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 Setchfield mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the Old English elements "sæc" meaning "dry ground" and "feld" meaning "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 Setchfield (0.04 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 people are called Setchfield?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Setchfield at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.