2000
#1,100
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 29,136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.80
Uncommon Last name
Mayfield
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near an open field that was harvested in May.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 32,924 Americans carry the last name Mayfield. That puts it at #1,201 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 10,410 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mayfield surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mayfield with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
33K
1 in 10,410
Census rank
#1,201
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
29K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 28,711 bearers of the surname Mayfield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1201st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mayfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.5%. The next largest groups are Black (28.1%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mayfield
The surname Mayfield has its origins in England, deriving from a locational name referring to a meadow or open field. It likely emerged sometime during the Anglo-Saxon period, which lasted from around the 5th to the 11th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Maifeld" in the county of Essex. This entry suggests that the name was already well-established by the late 11th century in this region.
By the 13th century, the name had evolved into various spellings such as "Meyfeld" and "Meyfelde," reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. These early forms highlight the connection to the Old English words "mæd" (meadow) and "feld" (field).
In the 14th century, records show individuals bearing the name Mayfield residing in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Warwickshire, and Somerset. Notable examples from this period include John de Mayfeld, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1317, and William Mayfeld, a landowner in Somerset recorded in the Assize Rolls of 1346.
As the name spread across England, it also took on localized variations, such as "Mayfeild" and "Mayfelde," reflecting the influence of local dialects and pronunciation patterns.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname was Sir Thomas Mayfield (c. 1390-1455), a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of Henry VI.
Another notable figure in history was Sir William Mayfield (c. 1500-1558), a Member of Parliament and landowner in Staffordshire during the Tudor period.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various records, including the marriage of Richard Mayfield to Elizabeth Smyth in St. Giles Cripplegate, London, in 1623.
During the English Civil War, Captain William Mayfield (c. 1620-1680) fought on the Parliamentarian side and later served as a magistrate in Warwickshire.
As the centuries progressed, the Mayfield surname continued to be found throughout England, with some individuals gaining notable positions and achievements in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mayfield
Among Census respondents with the surname Mayfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.5%. The next largest groups are Black (28.1%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Mayfield bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mayfield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.5% · 17,932
- Black or African American28.1% · 8,061
- Two or more races4.8% · 1,374
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 1,006
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 189
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 149
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mayfield
Mayfield appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,184
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 29,805
+669 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 10.10
Rank movement Down 84 places
2020
#1,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,711
-1,094 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 9.61
Rank movement Down 17 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,100 | 29,136 | 10.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,184 | 29,805 | 10.10 | +669 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 84 places |
| 2020 | #1,201 | 28,711 | 9.61 | -1,094 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 17 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mayfield surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,184 | #1,201 | -1.4% |
| Count | 29,805 | 28,711 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 10.10 | 9.61 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mayfield bearers went from 29,805 to 28,711 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 17 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,184 to #1,201.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Mayfield
FAQ
Mayfield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mayfield?
Name Census estimates that about 32,924 living Americans carry the surname Mayfield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 10,410 residents.
How common is Mayfield?
Mayfield ranks #1,201 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 28,711 people with the surname Mayfield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (32,924), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Mayfield.
Has Mayfield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mayfield went from 29,805 recorded bearers to 28,711. That is a decrease of 1,094 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,184 to #1,201.
What does the Census say about the background of Mayfield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mayfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.5%. The next largest groups are Black (28.1%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mayfield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.5% (17,932 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mayfield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.5%), Black (28.1%), Two or More Races (4.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mayfield (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mayfield mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near an open field that was harvested in May. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mayfield (9.61 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Mayfield?
You can see how common the surname Mayfield is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.