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Canfield History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Canfield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Canfield reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Canfield family lived in Yorkshire. The Canfield family descended from Richard de Camville, who owned estates in both England and France after the invasion in 1066, and gave his name to the area of Yorkshire in which his family settled. In the centuries following the Conquest of England by the Normans, the languages of the natives and their conquerors intermingled and the surname Camville changed to the more English sounding Canfield.

Early Origins of the Canfield family

The surname Canfield was first found in Yorkshire where they had been granted lands by William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. Today, Great Canfield is a village and a civil parish in the Uttlesford District of Essex, home to the Great Canfield Castle. Little Canfield is a village and a civil parish which is also located in Essex.

Early History of the Canfield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Canfield research. Another 161 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1455, 1563 and 1611 are included under the topic Early Canfield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Canfield Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Canfield family name include Canfield, Camville, Canville, Canfeld, Cannfield, Camnville and many more.

Early Notables of the Canfield family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Benedict Canfield (1563-1611) Capuchin friar, whose real name was William Fitch, the second son of William Fitch, owner of the manor of Little Canfield in Essex, by his second wife, Anne, daughter of...

Canfield Ranking

In the United States, the name Canfield is the 2,843^rd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1

Canfield migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Canfield family to immigrate North America:

Canfield Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Canfield, who arrived in Connecticut in 1634 2
Matthew Canfield and his brother Thomas, who landed in North America in 1620 and settled in New Haven. Matthew was a representative at the General Court in 1654 until the union of the Connecticut and New Haven colonies, and Thomas was one of the first settlers of Milford in 1646

Canfield Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Canfield, who arrived in Savanna(h), Georgia in 1825 2
Henry Canfield, who arrived in Texas in 1835 2
Henry G Canfield, who arrived in Mobile County, Ala in 1840 2
Patrick Canfield, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 2
John Canfield, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1846 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canfield migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Canfield Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Canfield, aged 21, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Breeze" from Dublin, Ireland

Canfield migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Canfield Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Andrew Canfield, aged 22, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Sir Thomas Gresham" 3
Michael Canfield, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Sir Thomas Gresham" 3

Canfield migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Canfield Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Mary Canfield, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sir George Pollock" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand in January 1863 4
Mr. John Canfield, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sir George Pollock" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand in January 1863 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Canfield (post 1700) +

Charles Joseph "Chuck" Canfield (1932-2017), American businessman and politician, 43rd Mayor of Rochester, Minnesota (1996-2003)
Cass Canfield (1897-1986), American senior editor for "Harper and Row", and Chairman of "Harper's Magazine"
Mary Grace Canfield (1924-2014), American actress, known for her roles in The Andy Griffith Show and her recurring role on the hit CBS comedy series, Green Acres where her signature, "Howdie Doodie!" introduced each appearance
James Hulme Canfield (1847-1909), fourth President of The Ohio State University
Jack Canfield (b. 1944), American motivational speaker and author
Donald Canfield (b. 1958), American ocean geologist, eponym of the Canfield ocean
Harry Clifford Canfield (1875-1945), U.S. Representative from Indiana
Brady Canfield (b. 1963), American skeleton racer
Richard Albert Canfield (1855-1914), American businessman and art collector who held the second largest collecton of Whistler paintings
Trevor Canfield (b. 1986), American NFL football guard
... (Another 33 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
South Australian Register Monday 20th March 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Sir Thomas Gresham 1858. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/sirthomasgresham1858.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html