Anfield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the Anfield family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They 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 Anfield family

The surname Anfield 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 Anfield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Anfield research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Anfield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Anfield Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Anfield were recorded, including Handfield, Hanfield, Haningfield, Hangefield, Havingfield and many more.

Early Notables of the Anfield family

More information is included under the topic Early Anfield Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Anfield family

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Anfield arrived in North America very early: Thomas Handfield who settled in Maryland in 1741.

Contemporary Notables of the name Anfield (post 1700) +

Colin Anfield Hughes (1930-2017), Bahamian-born British-Australian academic