ASHFIELD
The surname Ashfield is of English origin and is traditionally classified as a locational name. It indicates that the earliest bearers of the name either lived near a field dominated by ash trees or were associated with a settlement bearing that descriptive title.
In Old English the word æsc denoted an ash tree, while feld referred to an open country or field. The combination of these two words, rendered in modern orthography as Ashfield, literally means “ash‑tree field” and reflects the natural environment that inspired the place name.
Several locations within the British Isles carry the designation Ashfield. In Shropshire the earliest documented form appears as Assefeld in the Pipe Rolls of 1167. Two distinct sites in Suffolk also bear the name, both recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086: Assefelda near Debenham and Eascefelda at Great Ashfield. A later variant, Esfeld, appears in the Feet of Fines of 1196, further attesting to the persistence of the name in that county.
The first known use of the surname by an individual occurred in the late sixteenth century. In an entry dated 19 June 1569, the marriage of Margaret Ashfield to Robert Beleman was recorded at Denham, near Bury St. Edmunds, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Subsequent parish records provide further evidence of the name in the region: a christening of a Doryty Ashfield on 4 March 1592 in Alveley, Shropshire, and a marriage between Marie Ashfield and Andrew Gilmin on 12 June 1586 in Little Saxham, Suffolk.
By comparison with more common English surnames such as Smith or Jones, Ashfield has remained relatively uncommon. Contemporary demographic data show that the surname is predominantly found within the United Kingdom, with scattered but infrequent appearances in other English‑speaking countries.
Typical given names associated with the Ashfield surname
Male
- Anthony
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Martin
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
- Thomas
Female
- Catherine
- Christine
- Claire
- Dawn
- Janet
- Julie
- Karen
- Laura
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Ashfield in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Ashfield are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Ginger biscuit.
There are approximately 1,626 people named Ashfield in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,997th most common surname in Britain. Around 25 in a million people in Britain are named Ashfield.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Ashfield
- Kate Ashfield - Actress
- Stephen Ashfield - Actor and singer
- Robert Ashfield - Musician (1911 to 2006)
- Kim Ashfield - Model
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.