Byfielde History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Byfielde is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in Northamptonshire, where the name is associated with the village of Byfield. In the Domesday Book of 1086, Byfield was recorded as lands held by Hugh de Grandmesnil and Earl Hugh. 1

The place name literally means "place by the open country," from the Old English "bi" + "feld." 2

Early Origins of the Byfielde family

The surname Byfielde was first found in Northamptonshire, at Byfield, a parish, in the union of Daventry, hundred of Chipping-Warden. 3 4 5

One of the first records of the family was found in Norfolk where Nigel de Bifeld was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1202. Later Robert de Byfeld was listed in the Assize Rolls for Northamptonshire in 1314-1316. Later again, Adam Byfelde was found in Gloucestershire in 1367. 6

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included an entry for John de Byfeld, but no county was provided for this entry. 7

Early History of the Byfielde family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Byfielde research. Another 178 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273, 1367, 1579, 1596, 1597, 1598, 1615, 1616, 1622, 1643, 1654, 1660, 1664, 1665 and 1741 are included under the topic Early Byfielde History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Byfielde Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Byfielde has been spelled many different ways, including Byfield, Byfeld, Byfelde, Byfild, Byfielde, Bifield and many more.

Early Notables of the Byfielde family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Nicholas Byfield (1579-1622), a prominent Puritan minister and writer. He was a native of Warwickshire, son by his first wife of Richard Byfield, who became vicar of Stratford-on-Avon in January 1597. Nicholas was entered at Exeter College, Oxford, in Lent term 1596, as 'aged 17 at least,' which gives 1579 as the latest date for his birth. Taking orders he intended to exercise his ministry in Ireland; but on his way thither he preached at Chester, and was prevailed upon to remain as one of the city preachers, without cure. He lectured at...
Another 270 words (19 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Byfielde Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Byfielde family

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Byfieldes to arrive in North America: Robert Byfield who arrived in America in 1766.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print