BARNFIELD
Recorded variant spellings include Barn Field
In English onomastics the surname Barnfield is a locational name that derives from the Old English words bere meaning barley and feld meaning field; together they signify a “barley field.” The name is thought to have first denoted a person who lived or worked in a field where barley was cultivated.
The origin of the name is Anglo‑Saxon and is associated with a minor place thought to have been situated in the West Midlands. The placename itself comes from the Old English pre‑7th century word bern, a barn or granary – originally a compound of bere and aern (house or building) – combined with feld, pasture or open country.
During the Middle Ages, when migration for employment became more common, individuals often adopted the name of their former village as a means of identification, thereby spreading the surname beyond its original locality. The earliest recorded entries in English Church Registers include Mary Barnfeilde, christened on 1 November 1572 at St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster, London; Thomas Barnfield, who married Joyce Foxall on 27 October 1588 at Chelmarsh, Shropshire; and John Barnfield, son of John and Margaret, christened on 15 March 1600 at Childs Ercall, Shropshire.
Among those who bore the name with distinction was the poet Richard Barnfield (1574–1627). He published several works, two of which appeared in the collection Passionate Pilgrim (1599). For a period these pieces were mistakenly attributed to William Shakespeare.
A coat of arms was granted to the Barnfield family. The escutcheon is described as a gold shield upon which a red bend bears three silver mullets. A black annulet is used for difference. The crest features a black lion’s head erased, crowned ducally in red.
The earliest known spelling of the family name is that of Johis Barnfyld, dated 16 September 1560, who witnessed a christening at Worthen Church, Shropshire, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603).
Statistical evidence suggests that the surname is most widespread in the West Midlands, although it can now be found across England and in diaspora communities. Its persistence as a recognised English surname reflects a long historical continuity dating back to the Anglo‑Saxon period.
Typical given names associated with the Barnfield surname
Male
- Andrew
- Craig
- David
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Simon
- Stephen
- Thomas
Female
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Jeanette
- Josephine
- Julie
- Laura
- Lisa
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Sheila
- Susan
- Victoria
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 Barnfield in...
Braille
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Morse
-....-.-.-...-.....-..-..
Semaphore
There are approximately 1,564 people named Barnfield in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,188th most common surname in Britain. Around 24 in a million people in Britain are named Barnfield.
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 Barnfield
- Kacey Louisa Barnfield - Actress
- Graham Barnfield - Academic
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.