The Benfield surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,138 people carried this name — #6,593 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 57,500 people counted. That is down 2% from 5,264 in 2000.

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Where the name comes from

The origin of the Benfield surname

Variant of Benefield.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Benfield» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In print

Benfield in American newspapers,
1895–1923.

Newspaper page from San Antonio Daily Light carrying the name Benfield
San Antonio Daily Light 1895-11-14
Newspaper page from The Indianapolis Times carrying the name Benfield
The Indianapolis Times 1923-11-06
Newspaper page from The Florida Agriculturist carrying the name Benfield
The Florida Agriculturist 1906-04-11

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 2,081 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Benfield in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1970s.

1,217 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Benfield. The most, 239, date from the 1910s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in South Australia, at 2.1 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 594
South Australia 283
Victoria 128
Queensland 120
Tasmania 48
Western Australia 24
ACT (Canberra) 13

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Benfield.

Who carried it

People named Benfield,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Christopher Benfield Carter
    Christopher Benfield Carter 1844–1906 · politician
  • Derek Benfield
    Derek Benfield 1926–2009 · actor
  • Derek Benfield
    Derek Benfield 1926–2009 · actor
  • Eric Benfield d. 1955 · sculptor
  • Paul Benfield 1742–1810 · politician
  • Tommy Benfield 1889–1918 · association football player

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Benfield,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States290 records

290 records of the Benfield name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 174
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 39
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 32
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 20
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 14
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 5
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 4
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 1
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James E. Benfield

    Born 1918 in South Carolina. Enlisted 1944 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina; textile mill worker. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 2001, buried at Rose Hill Cemetery, York, South Carolina.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Don Curtis Benfield

    Born 1945; from Macon, Georgia. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1967 in Quang Nam, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Susan Benfield

    Arrived at New York in 1873 aboard the California from Glasgow and Moville, aged 26; servant. From Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 290 records for Benfield in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia97 records

97 records of the Benfield name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 62
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 15
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 10
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 6
  • Tasmanian Names Index 3
  • State Library of Western Australia indexes 1
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John Benfield

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Lady Ridley, sailing from England in 1821. Native of Hoxton, Middlesex.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record George Benfield

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Roxburgh Castle, aged 45; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Albert E. Benfield

    Orchardist of Woorinen, Victoria; died 1946.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 97 records for Benfield in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom10 records

10 records of the Benfield name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record T. C. Benfield

    Corporal, Royal Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record S. C. Benfield

    Corporal, Royal Field Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Benfield

    Bombardier, Royal Garrison Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 10 records for Benfield in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand6 records

6 records of the Benfield name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 5
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Richard Benfield

    Died 1911, aged 55; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Daniel Thomas Benfield

    Buried in 1929 at Shortland Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 66.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Charlotte Benfield

    Died 1921, aged 72; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Benfield in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Canada5 records

5 records of the Benfield name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 2
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 2
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Edna Blanche Benfield

    Buried in 1974 at Burnsland Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 76.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record William Benfield

    Died 1931; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Francis Benfield

    Died in service in 1915.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 5 records for Benfield in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

France1 record

1 record of the Benfield name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Clarice Annie Benfield

    Born 1909 in the United States; died 1998 in Compiègne (Oise).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Benfield.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Benfield is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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