2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Slyfield
A locative surname derived from a place named "Sly Field" referring to a sly or cunning field.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Slyfield. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Slyfield 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 Slyfield with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Slyfield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Slyfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Slyfield
The surname Slyfield has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words 'sly' meaning cunning or sly, and 'feld' meaning field or open land. This suggests that the name may have been originally given to someone who lived in a field or open area, or perhaps someone who was known for their cunning or sly nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Slyfield is in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where a John Slyfeld is mentioned. The name is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1279, where a William Slyfeld is listed.
The Slyfield surname may have originated from a place name, as was common practice during the Middle Ages. There is a village called Slyfield in Surrey, England, which could potentially be the source of the name. The name Slyfield is also similar to the place name Slyfield in Yorkshire, which was recorded as Slighfeld in the Domesday Book of 1086.
In the 14th century, a notable individual named Robert Slyfield was a Member of Parliament for the borough of Shoreham in Sussex in 1332. Another early record is of a John Slyfield, who was a landowner in the village of Bray, Berkshire, in 1381.
During the 16th century, a prominent figure was William Slyfield (1522-1590), who was a wealthy merchant and alderman in the city of London. He was known for his philanthropic work and contributed to the rebuilding of several churches in the city.
In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Slyfield (1625-1698), who was a renowned lawyer and served as Lord Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench from 1687 to 1688.
Another significant figure was Richard Slyfield (1672-1734), who was a celebrated architect and designed several notable buildings in London, including St. Martin-in-the-Fields church and the Radcliffe Camera in Oxford.
While the Slyfield surname may not be as common today as some other English surnames, it has a rich history that can be traced back to the Middle Ages and is deeply rooted in the English countryside and its place names.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Slyfield
Among Census respondents with the surname Slyfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Slyfield 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 Slyfield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.2% · 95
- Black or African American6.4% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Slyfield
Slyfield 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+11 bearers (+10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,679 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-9 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,065 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.3%) | Up 1,679 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 9,065 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 Slyfield 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 | #141,140 | #150,205 | -6.4% |
| Count | 118 | 109 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Slyfield bearers went from 118 to 109 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 9,065 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #150,205.
FAQ
Slyfield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Slyfield?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Slyfield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Slyfield?
Slyfield ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Slyfield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Slyfield.
Has Slyfield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Slyfield went from 118 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Slyfield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Slyfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (6.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Slyfield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Slyfield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.2%), Black (6.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Slyfield (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 Slyfield mean?
A locative surname derived from a place named "Sly Field" referring to a sly or cunning 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 Slyfield (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 share the surname Slyfield?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.