Contents [hide]

Field History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Field History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestry of the name Field dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in the area that was near a field. This surname is a topographic name and is derived from the Old English word feld, which literally means the pasture or open country. 1

In this case, the bearer of the surname Field lived in an area of land that was cleared of forest.

Interestingly, "Field, or De la Felda embraces both English and Norman families. Richard de la Felda is mentioned in Normandy, temp John." [reign 1199-1216] 2 This duality of origin is indeed rare.

Early Origins of the Field family

The surname Field was first found in many shires and counties throughout Britain. Some of the earliest records show: Thomas atte Felde in the Writs of Parliament of 1301; William de la Felde in Gloucestershire during reign of King Edward I; and John de la Felde in Herefordshire at about the same time. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Linot ate [atte] Feld and William a la Feld in Oxfordshire. 3

Robert de Felde was listed as a Templar in Gloucestershire in 1185 and Hugo de la Felde was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1188. John del Feld was listed in Suffolk in 1190 and James atte Felde was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. 4

Early History of the Field family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Field research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1407, 1519, 1520, 1530, 1542, 1546, 1549, 1554, 1558, 1560, 1561, 1574, 1577, 1579, 1582, 1583, 1587, 1588, 1592, 1599, 1606, 1609, 1616, 1620, 1624, 1625, 1633, 1636, 1640, 1676, 1782, 1837 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Field History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Field Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Field have been found, including Field, Feild, Felde and others.

Early Notables of the Field family

Distinguished members of the family include

Roger Felde (fl. 1407), of Hereford, an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Hereford in 1407; Sir James Field of West Harrow; and Edmund Feilde (Field) (1620-1676), an English barrister a...
John Field or Feild (1520-1587), 'Proto-Copernican' of England, son of Richard Field (d. 1542), was born, as is supposed, at Ardsley, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, between 1520 and 1530. "He lived...
Richard Field (1561-1616), was an English divine, "born 15 Oct. 1561, at Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire, of an old and reputable family. 'His ancestors,' says his son and biographer, 'were blessed w...
Richard Field (fl. 1579-1624), was an English printer and stationer, the son of ‘Henry ffeilde of Stratford uppon Aven in the countye of Warwick, tanner’ (Arber, Transcript, ii. 93), whose goods and c...
Theophilus Field (1574-1636), was Bishop of Hereford, eldest son of the Rev. John Field (1519?-1588), was born in the parish of St. Giles's, Cripplegate, London, and baptised there 22 Jan. 1574
Nathaniel Field (1587-1633), was an English "actor and dramatist, born in the parish of St. Giles, Cripplegate, was the son of the Rev. John Field (buried 26 March 1587-8), author of ‘A Godly Exhortat...

Field World Ranking

In the United States, the name Field is the 1,165^th most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 5 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Field is ranked the 560^th most popular surname with an estimated 81 people with that name. 6 And in Australia, the name Field is the 348^th popular surname with an estimated 10,432 people with that name. 7 New Zealand ranks Field as 287^th with 2,105 people. 8 The United Kingdom ranks Field as 320^th with 19,234 people. 9

Migration of the Field family to Ireland

Some of the Field family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 232 words (17 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Field migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Field, or a variant listed above:

Field Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Field, who settled in Virginia in 1607
Thomas Field, who landed in Jamestown Va in 1607 10
Mr. James Field, aged 20, who arrived in Virginia in 1624 aboard the ship "Swan" 11
Zechariah Field, who arrived in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1629 10
Mr. Robert Field, (b. 1615), aged 20, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Safety" arriving in Virginia in 1635 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Field Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Christopher Field, who landed in New England in 1714 10
Ella Field, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1746 10
Malaky Field, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1764 10
Oliver Field, who arrived in New York in 1798 10

Field Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Field, who arrived in America in 1801 10
Samuel Field, who arrived in America in 1804 10
Peter Field, who landed in America in 1809 10
Isaac D Field, aged 31, who arrived in New York in 1812 10
Sally Field, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1813 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Field migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Field Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Edmund Field, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Thomas Field, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1760
Mr.HenryField U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on October 26, 1783 was passenger number 265 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on September 28, 1783 at Staten Island, New York 13
Mrs. Rebecca Field U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 13
Mrs. Rebecca Field U.E., (née Haines) who settled in Gainsborough [Regional Municipality of Niagara], Ontario c. 1784 she was previously married to Jeremiah Johnson, she had 9 children over the two marriages, she died in 1797 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Field Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Field, aged 27, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1837 aboard the barque "Robert Watt" from Cork, Ireland
James Field, aged 3, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1837 aboard the barque "Robert Watt" from Cork, Ireland
Stephen Field, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1837 aboard the barque "Robert Watt" from Cork, Ireland

Field migration to Australia +

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

Field Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Sarah Field, (b. 1785), aged 18, English convict who was convicted in Hampshire, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
Mr. James Field, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 15
Stephen Field, a cooper, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
George Field, English convict from Hertford, who was transported aboard the "Andromeda" on October 16, 1826, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 16
Mr. John Field, (b. 1791), aged 35, English farmer who was convicted in Kent, England for life for burglary, transported aboard the "England"on 28th April 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1835 17
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Field 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:

Field Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Henry Claylands Field, who landed in Wanganui, New Zealand in 1840
Charles Field, aged 23, a smith, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Sir Charles Forbes" in 1842
Elizabeth Field, aged 38, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Sir Charles Forbes" in 1842
Susannah Field, aged 17, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Sir Charles Forbes" in 1842
Mr. Field, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "George Fyffe" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 7th November 1842 18
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Field migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 19

Field Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. Henrie Field, (b. 1611), aged 24, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Expedition" arriving in Barbados in 1636 20

Contemporary Notables of the name Field (post 1700) +

Sally Margaret Field (b. 1946), American actress, singer, producer, director, and screenwriter, recipient of two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and nominations for a Tony award, and two British Academy Film Awards
Frank Field (1923-2023), born Franklyn Feld, American television meteorologist in New York City for five decades, instrumental in publicizing the Heimlich Maneuver
Mervin Field (1921-2015), American pollster in California
William Todd Field (b. 1964), American actor and writer/director with three Academy Award nominations
Cyrus West Field (1819-1892), American businessman and financier who led the Atlantic Telegraph Company and laid the first telegraph cable across the Atlantic Ocean in 1858
Stephen Johnson Field (1816-1899), associate justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1863 to 1897
Marshall Field (1834-1906), American merchant
Eugene Field (1850-1895), American writer
Jessie Field (1881-1971), American teacher
Shirley Anne Field (1936-2023), born Shirley Broomfield, an English actress who performed on stage, film and television since 1955
... (Another 16 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Field family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Edgar C Field (b. 1923), English Ordinary Signalman serving for the Royal Navy from Shirley, Southampton, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 21

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Donald Field, British Stoker 2nd Class, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 22

RMS Lusitania

Mr. William Field, Irish Trimmer from Belfast, Ireland, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 23

Senghenydd colliery

Mr. Harry Field (b. 1881), Welsh coal miner from Newbridge, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died

SS Southern Cross

Mr. John S. Field (1889-1914), Newfoundlander from St. John's who was aboard the "SS Southern Cross" when it is suspected she sank between the 31st March 1914 and early April during the storm with a heavy load of pelts; no survivors were ever found
Mr. Alexander Field (1887-1914), Newfoundlander from Torbay who was aboard the "SS Southern Cross" when it is suspected she sank between the 31st March 1914 and early April during the storm with a heavy load of pelts; no survivors were ever found

USS Arizona

Mr. Jennings P. Field, American Ensign working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking 24

Citations +

Hargrave, Basil, Origins and Meanings of Popular Phrases & Names. London: T. Werner Laurie Ltd, Cobham House, 24 and 26 Black Friars Lane, 1949. Print
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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"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)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 5th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Andromeda voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1826 with 147 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1826
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 10) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html