2000
#40,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 503
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.19
Very Rare Last name
Newfield
A surname referring to someone living in a newly cleared area of land.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 643 Americans carry the last name Newfield. That puts it at #41,765 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 533,055 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Newfield 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.
Bearers in the US
643
1 in 533,055
Census rank
#41,765
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
561
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 561 bearers of the surname Newfield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 41765th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Newfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Newfield
The surname NEWFIELD has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "niwe" meaning "new" and "feld" meaning "field" or "open land." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived or worked on newly cultivated or cleared land.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name NEWFIELD can be found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1285, which refers to a person named Robert de Neufeld. This document serves as evidence of the name's existence in the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Newefeld, Newefelde, and Newfeld, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time period. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mentions a John de Newfeld in Oxfordshire, while the Poll Tax Returns of 1379 record a William Newefeld in Yorkshire.
During the 16th century, the surname NEWFIELD continued to appear in records across England. One notable bearer of the name was Thomas Newfield (c. 1530-1590), a prominent merchant and landowner in Suffolk. His descendants played a significant role in the local community for several generations.
In the 17th century, the name NEWFIELD was found in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, where a family of that name owned lands near the village of Newfield, possibly contributing to the origin of the surname.
Other notable individuals with the surname NEWFIELD include:
1. John Newfield (1640-1721), a member of the British Parliament for Colchester from 1701 to 1708.
2. Elizabeth Newfield (1675-1745), a renowned author and poet from Warwickshire.
3. Samuel Newfield (1720-1789), a prominent architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London.
4. Margaret Newfield (1785-1856), a philanthropist and advocate for women's education in Yorkshire.
5. William Newfield (1820-1892), an explorer and naturalist who documented various plant and animal species in the Australian outback.
While the surname NEWFIELD is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and can be traced back to the medieval period, reflecting the agricultural and land-owning roots of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Newfield
Among Census respondents with the surname Newfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Newfield 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 Newfield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 504
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 24
- Two or more races4.3% · 24
- Black or African American0.9% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Newfield
Newfield 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
#42,237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 514
+11 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 1,329 places
2020
#41,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 561
+47 bearers (+9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Up 472 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #40,908 | 503 | 0.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #42,237 | 514 | 0.17 | +11 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 1,329 places |
| 2020 | #41,765 | 561 | 0.19 | +47 bearers (+9.1%) | Up 472 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 Newfield 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 | #42,237 | #41,765 | 1.1% |
| Count | 514 | 561 | 9.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.19 | 10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Newfield bearers went from 514 to 561 (+9.1% change). The surname moved up 472 positions in the national ranking, going from #42,237 to #41,765.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Newfield
FAQ
Newfield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Newfield?
Name Census estimates that about 643 living Americans carry the surname Newfield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 533,055 residents.
How common is Newfield?
Newfield ranks #41,765 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 561 people with the surname Newfield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (643), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Newfield.
Has Newfield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Newfield went from 514 recorded bearers to 561. That is an increase of 47 (+9.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #42,237 to #41,765.
What does the Census say about the background of Newfield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Newfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Newfield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (504 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Newfield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Newfield (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 Newfield mean?
A surname referring to someone living in a newly cleared area of land. 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 Newfield (0.19 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 Americans have the surname Newfield?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.