Show ContentsClayfield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

  • Origins Available:
  • England
Clayfield Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Clayfield

What does the name Clayfield mean?

The ancestors of the bearers of the Clayfield family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in Devon at Clayville. The surname is derived from the French, and means that the original bearers lived by clay soil.

Early Origins of the Clayfield family

The surname Clayfield was first found in Devon where they held a family seat. From their early beginnings, for the next few centuries, the family name also acquired other estates or manors as branches established themselves throughout England. The major conflicts of the eras, such as the War of the Roses, the English Reformation, and the English Civil War sometimes found them to be in opposing camps, with conflicting interests.

Early History of the Clayfield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clayfield research. Another 31 words (2 lines of text) covering the year 1292 is included under the topic Early Clayfield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clayfield Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Clayfield include Clayvill, Clayville, Clavile, Claville and others.

Early Notables of the Clayfield family

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

Clayfield migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Clayfield or a variant listed above:

Clayfield Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mary Clayfield, who settled in New York in 1868
  • Mary Clayfield, aged 59, who landed in New York in 1868 1

Clayfield migration to Australia +

Clayfield Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Augustus Frederick Brailsford Clayfield, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1839 2
  • Hannah Clayfield, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1839 2
  • Peter Clayfield, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Fairlee" in 1840 3
  • John Clayfield, aged 28, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Bee"

Contemporary Notables of the name Clayfield (post 1700) +

  • Dr Kimberley Clayfield, Executive Manager of Space Sciences and Technology, CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science
  • Matthew Clayfield (b. 1985), Australian filmmaker, producer and director
  • Doug Clayfield, Canadian founder of The Doug Clayfield Trio 4
  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)
  2. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) THOMAS HARRISON 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839ThomasHarrison.htm
  3. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) FAIRLIE/FAIRLEE 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Fairlie.htm
  4. Doug Clayfield. (Retrieved 2011, March 8) Doug Clayfield. Retrieved from http://dougclayfield.com/

Houseofnames.com on Facebook