Fifield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Fifield family

The surname Fifield was first found in Wiltshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1236 when William de Fyfield held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Fifield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fifield research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1317, 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Fifield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fifield Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Fifield include Fifield, Fyfield, Fifett, Fifefield and others.

Early Notables of the Fifield family

Distinguished members of the family include

the Fifield family of Wiltshire

Fifield World Ranking

In the United States, the name Fifield is the 7,487^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Fifield is ranked the 271^st most popular surname with an estimated 163 people with that name. 2

Fifield migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Fifield or a variant listed above:

Fifield Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

William Fifield, from Hampshire, who arrived in New England in 1634 aboard the ship "Hercules", bound for New Hampshire 3
William Fifield, who arrived in Newbury, Massachusetts in 1639 3
John Fifield, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1665 3

Fifield Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

A B Fifield, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 3

Fifield Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Emily Fifield, aged 65, who landed in America, in 1906
Geo. A. Fifield, who landed in America, in 1907
Carrie E. Fifield, who landed in America, in 1907
Jane Fifield, aged 22, who landed in America, in 1908
Ethel Fifield, aged 37, who immigrated to America, in 1910
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Fifield migration to Australia +

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

Fifield Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Mr. Thomas Fifield, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Fifield (post 1700) +

James G. "Jim" Fifield, American President and CEO of EMI (1988 to 1998)
John "Jack" Proctor Fifield (1871-1939), American Major League Baseball pitcher
Samuel S. Fifield (1839-1915), American politician in Wisconsin
Christopher Fifield, English conductor and classical music historian and musicologist
Cecil Richard Henry "Dicky" Fifield, Australian rugby league footballer
Mitchell Peter "Mitch" Fifield (b. 1967), Australian politician, is member of the Australian Senate since March 2004
Elaine Fifield (1930-1999), Australian ballerina
Adele Fifield OO (b. 1966), Canadian former director of the War Amps' National Amputee Centre
Coker Fifield Clarkson, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Iowa, 1860 5

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html