2000
#13,319
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,099
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Sutterfield
Derived from a place name meaning "south field" or "southern pasture" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,315 Americans carry the last name Sutterfield. That puts it at #14,273 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 148,058 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sutterfield 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.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 148,058
Census rank
#14,273
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,019 bearers of the surname Sutterfield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14273rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sutterfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sutterfield
The surname Sutterfield has its origins in England, with the earliest records indicating its use in the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from a combination of two Old English words, "suter" meaning a shoemaker or cobbler, and "feld" meaning a field or open land. Thus, the name likely referred to a shoemaker or cobbler who lived or worked in a particular field or open area.
While there are no definitive records of the name's appearance in the Domesday Book, it is possible that some variations or similar spellings might have been present in that historical document. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Whitby, Yorkshire, where a certain Richard Sutterfield was mentioned in 1593.
Over the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Sutterfeild, Sutterfelde, and Sutterfielde. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of the scribes who recorded them.
One notable individual bearing this surname was William Sutterfield (1615-1679), a merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, England. He is recorded as having owned substantial property and assets in the town of Gainsborough.
Another historical figure was John Sutterfield (1670-1744), a baker from London who was known for his involvement in local politics and his support for the Whig party during the early 18th century.
In the 19th century, the name gained some prominence with the birth of Mary Sutterfield (1832-1901), a pioneering female educator who established one of the first schools for girls in the city of Manchester, England.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Samuel Sutterfield (1795-1872), a farmer and landowner from Virginia who served in the War of 1812.
Lastly, a notable figure from the early 20th century was Robert Sutterfield (1901-1985), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Sutterfield House, which still stands today as a prime example of Art Deco architecture.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diversity of individuals who have borne the surname Sutterfield over the centuries, solidifying its place as a distinctive and enduring name of English origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sutterfield
Among Census respondents with the surname Sutterfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sutterfield 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 Sutterfield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 1,787
- Two or more races5.1% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.2% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 18
- Black or African American0.5% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sutterfield
Sutterfield 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
#13,781
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,195
+96 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 462 places
2020
#14,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,019
-176 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 492 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,319 | 2,099 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,781 | 2,195 | 0.74 | +96 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 462 places |
| 2020 | #14,273 | 2,019 | 0.68 | -176 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 492 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 Sutterfield 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 | #13,781 | #14,273 | -3.6% |
| Count | 2,195 | 2,019 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.68 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sutterfield bearers went from 2,195 to 2,019 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 492 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,781 to #14,273.
FAQ
Sutterfield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sutterfield?
Name Census estimates that about 2,315 living Americans carry the surname Sutterfield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 148,058 residents.
How common is Sutterfield?
Sutterfield ranks #14,273 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,019 people with the surname Sutterfield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,315), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Sutterfield.
Has Sutterfield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sutterfield went from 2,195 recorded bearers to 2,019. That is a decrease of 176 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,781 to #14,273.
What does the Census say about the background of Sutterfield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sutterfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (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 Sutterfield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (1,787 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sutterfield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Two or More Races (5.1%), Hispanic (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 Sutterfield (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 Sutterfield mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "south field" or "southern pasture" in Old English. 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 Sutterfield (0.68 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 have the last name Sutterfield?
You can see how many people have the last name Sutterfield on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.