Show ContentsCoffield History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origins of the Coffield name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Coffield was originally derived from a family having lived in Cockfield, Durham or in Suffolk. Cockfield Hall is in Yoxford, Suffolk and was originally held by the Cokefeud family who had held it since the beginning of the 14th century.

Early Origins of the Coffield family

The surname Coffield was first found in Suffolk at Cockfield, a village and civil parish near Lavenham. This village is much older than the aforementioned Durham village at this one dates back to the 10th century when it was listed as Cochanfelde. The first record of the Durham village was in 1223 when it was listed as Kokefeld. [1] There are two possible meaning of the place names: "open land of a man called Cohha" derived from the Old English personal name + feld; and "open land frequented by cocks (of wild birds.)" [1]

However, despite all of the above, we must look to Oxfordshire to find the first record of the family. For it is there that Lucia de Kokefled was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1198. A few years later, Robert de Cockfeld was listed in Cheshire in 1236-1247. [2]

Early History of the Coffield family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Coffield research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1170, 1198, 1275 and 1327 are included under the topic Early Coffield History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Coffield Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Coffield include Cockfield, Cocksfield, Cofield, Coefield, Coffield and many more.

Early Notables of the Coffield family

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

Coffield Ranking

In the United States, the name Coffield is the 11,096th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [3]


United States Coffield migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Coffield Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Ann Coffield who settled in New England in 1758 along with her husband William

Canada Coffield migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Coffield Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Lt. Thomas Coffield U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 he served in the North Carolina Regiment [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Coffield (post 1700) +

  • Randall Steve "Randy" Coffield (b. 1953), American football player who played in three NFL seasons from 1976 to 1979 for the Seattle Seahawks and the New York Giants
  • Peter Coffield (1945-1983), American Daytime Emmy Award nominated actor, best known for his role in the film Cry Rape!
  • Glen Stemmons Coffield (1917-1981), American poet and conscientious objector
  • Orus Reid Coffield (1876-1965), American Democratic Party politician, Member of North Carolina State House of Representatives from Rutherford County, 1913-14 [5]
  • John L. Coffield, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for U.S. Representative from Illinois 7th District, 1938 [5]
  • Horace W. Coffield, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Missouri State House of Representatives from St. Francois County, 1935-38 [5]
  • H. H. Coffield, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1948, 1952, 1964 (alternate) [5]
  • G. W. Coffield, American politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Wetzel County, 1923-26 [5]
  • David Coffield, American politician, Member of North Carolina House of Commons from Edgecombe County, 1795 [5]
  • Cora Coffield, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Missouri, 1928 [5]
  • ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, April 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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