Show ContentsHandfield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Handfield

What does the name Handfield mean?

Handfield is a name that was carried to England in the great wave of migration from Normandy following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Handfield family lived in Essex. Their name, however, is a local reference which indicates that the original bearer lived at or near a field belonging to someone by the name of Hand, hence Handfield. It is one of a number of names such as Handforth, Handford, Hanfirth, Hanfield, Handsacre, Handsworth, all of which derive from this source. The surname Hand comes from the Old English honde, and was a nickname used to identify a person by a peculiarity of the hands, such as size, great skill, or agility.

Early Origins of the Handfield family

The surname Handfield was first found in Essex where they were conjecturally descended from Ralph FitzThorold, who held the lands and villages of east, south, and west Hanningfield.

Early History of the Handfield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Handfield research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1693, 1736, 1750, 1752, 1758, 1760 and 1787 are included under the topic Early Handfield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Handfield Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Handfield include Handfield, Hanfield, Haningfield, Hangefield, Havingfield and many more.

Early Notables of the Handfield family

  • John Handfield (c. 1693-1787), a British military officer, member of the Nova Scotia Council, and office holder...


Handfield migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Handfields to arrive on North American shores:

Handfield Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Thomas Handfield who settled in Maryland in 1741
Handfield Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Michael Handfield, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Handfield (post 1700) +

  • Robert B Handfield, Distinguished Professor of Supply Chain Management at North Carolina State University
  • John Handfield, American actor, known for The Ultimate Weapon (1998), Why? With Hannibal Buress (2015) and Lassie (1997)
  • Martin Handfield, American special effects artist, known for The Jacket (2005), Moonfall (2022) and X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)
  • Chris Handfield, American actor, known for Code 8 (2019), American Gods (2017) and Gen V (2023)
  • Don Handfield, American writer and producer, born in Herndon, Virginia, known for Knightfall (2017), The Founder (2016) and Amazing Stories (2020)
  • Charles Reginald Handfield (1878-1915), Australian-born, South African first-class cricketer and soldier


  1. 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)


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