Show ContentsBloomfield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Bloomfield was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Bloomfield family lived in Norfolk, where the family has a rich history dating back many years. Their name, however, derives from their previous locality of residence, Blundeville, near Pont l'Eveque, Normandy. 1

Early Origins of the Bloomfield family

The surname Bloomfield was first found in Cheshire at Beeston, a township, in the parish of Bunbury, union of Nantwich, First division of the hundred of Eddisbury. "This place takes its name from a castle founded by Ranulph de Blundeville, about 1220, and which was made a royal garrison in the war between Henry III. and the confederate barons." 2 He was the son and heir of Hugh 'de Kivelioc,' Earl (palatine) of Chester, whom he succeeded in 1180. "His surname, like his father's, was derived from his birthplace, 'Blundevill' being identified by Dugdale with Oswestry. " 3

Thomas de Blundeville or Blunville (d. 1236), was Bishop of Norwich. He "was the son of Robert de Blunville of Newton; Flotman, Norfolk, and younger brother of William de Blunville, constable of Corfe Castle during the reign of King John." 3

However, most sources believe the family was originally from Norfolk as by example, "History or Norfolk" had two early entries for the family using early spellings: John de Blomevile, 1249; and William de Blundevile, 1283 while the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had only one entry: William de Blumvile, Norfolk 1273. 4

Another source notes: "Bloomfield, a village in Worcestershire, and probably other localities. Norfolk has long been the greatest habitat of the name. " 5

"Bailiffs of Ipswich in the reigns of Edward IV., Henry VII., and Charles II., bore the name of Blomfield. " 6

Early History of the Bloomfield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bloomfield research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1203, 1524, 1525, 1574, 1576, 1638, 1642, 1653, 1768, 1825 and 1846 are included under the topic Early Bloomfield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bloomfield Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Bloomefield, Blundeville, Blomfield, Blumfield, Blundville and many more.

Early Notables of the Bloomfield family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Miles Blomefield (1525-1574?), alchemist, who recorded some particulars of his birth and parentage in a quaint note written by himself in a volume which is preserved in the library of St. John's College, Cambridge, and which contains a unique copy of 'the boke called the Informacyon for pylgrymes vnto the holy lande,' printed by Wynkyn de Worde in 1524: 'I...
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bloomfield Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bloomfield Ranking

In the United States, the name Bloomfield is the 5,634th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 7 However, in Australia, the name Bloomfield is ranked the 959th most popular surname with an estimated 4,130 people with that name. 8

Ireland Migration of the Bloomfield family to Ireland

Some of the Bloomfield family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Bloomfield migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Bloomfield or a variant listed above:

Bloomfield Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • James Bloomfield who settled in Boston, Massachusetts in 1620
  • Sarah Bloomfield, who settled in New England in 1634
  • Sarah Bloomfield, aged 1, who arrived in New England in 1634 9
  • William Bloomfield, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1635 9
  • Nathaniel Bloomfield, who landed in Maryland in 1679 9
Bloomfield Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Noah Bloomfield, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1796
Bloomfield Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Richard Bloomfield, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 9
  • Sand Bloomfield, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 9
  • Samuel Bloomfield, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 9
  • Samuel Bloomfield, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 9
  • David Bloomfield, who settled in Belfast Me. in 1822
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Bloomfield migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bloomfield Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • Mrs. Bloomfield, who landed in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907
  • Dorothy Bloomfield, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907
  • Ernest Bloomfield, who landed in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907
  • Esther Bloomfield, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907
  • Harry E Bloomfield, who landed in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Bloomfield migration to Australia +

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

Bloomfield Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Bloomfield, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 8th December 1839, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
  • Mr. George Bloomfield, English convict who was convicted in Clerkenwell, London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Cressy" on 28th April 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 11
  • Simon Bloomfield, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Thomas Lowry" in 1848 12
  • John Bloomfield, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sultana" in 1850 13
  • Miss. Mary Ann Bloomfield, English convict who was convicted in Exeter, Devon, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baretto Junior" on 5th April 1850, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 14

New Zealand Bloomfield 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:

Bloomfield Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Bloomfield, British settler travelling from London with 2 sons aboard the ship "Mandarin" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 21st May 1841 15
  • Mr. Alfred Bloomfield, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "John Scott" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 7th March 1858 15
  • Mr. John R. Bloomfield, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Excelsior" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 17th March 1859 15
  • Miss Alice Bloomfield, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Gertrude" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th February 1863 15
  • Miss Grace Bloomfield, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Gertrude" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th February 1863 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bloomfield (post 1700) +

  • Colonel Michael J Bloomfield (b. 1959), former American astronaut and a veteran of three space shuttle missions with over 753 hours in space 16
  • Mike Bloomfield (1943-1981), American musician, guitarist and composer
  • Leonard Bloomfield (1887-1949), American linguist
  • Joseph Bloomfield (1753-1823), American politician, Governor of New Jersey
  • Margaret Bloomfield, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 2008 17
  • Linus J. Bloomfield, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Wayne County 6th District, 1950; Candidate for Mayor of Wyandotte, Michigan, 1953 17
  • Joseph Bloomfield (1753-1823), American Democratic Party politician, Presidential Elector for New Jersey, 1792; Mayor of Burlington, New Jersey, 1795-1800; Governor of New Jersey, 1801-02, 1803-12 17
  • James D. Bloomfield, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly from Cayuga County, 1919 17
  • Harry Bloomfield, American Republican politician, Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Claremont 1st Ward, 1956; Elected New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Claremont 1st Ward 1956 17
  • Bill Bloomfield, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 2008 17
  • ... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Empress of Ireland
  • Mrs. Isabella Louisa Bloomfield (1868-1914), née Clarke New Zealander First Class Passenger from Auckland, New Zealand who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 18
  • Mr. Robert William Read Bloomfield (1862-1914), New Zealander First Class Passenger from Auckland, New Zealand who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 18
  • Miss Hilda Isabel Read Bloomfield (1891-1914), New Zealander First Class Passenger from Auckland, New Zealand who was traveling aboard the Empress of Ireland and died in the sinking 18
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Thomas Bloomfield, American 1st Class Passenger from New York, New York, USA, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 19


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  6. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  7. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  8. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  9. 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)
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st May 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cressy
  12. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) THOMAS LOWRY 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848ThomasLowry.htm
  13. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SULTANA 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Sultana.htm
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baretto-junior
  15. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  16. NASA Astronauts Homepage. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Michael Bloomfield. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/bloomfie.html
  17. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  18. Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 16) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
  19. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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