The Maxfield surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,987 people carried this name — #5,786 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 49,300 people counted. That is up 10% from 5,455 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Maxfield surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Macclesfield’.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 523 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

46 Maxfield families were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 233 people lived in those households, 5.1 to a family on average. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 12
Massachusetts 10
Vermont 6
Maryland 4
New Hampshire 3
New York 3
South Carolina 3
Rhode Island 2
Connecticut 2
North Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 251 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Maxfield in American newspapers,
1881–1911.

Newspaper page from Southern Christian Advocate carrying the name Maxfield
Southern Christian Advocate 1911-08-17
Newspaper page from Press And Daily Dakotaian carrying the name Maxfield
Press And Daily Dakotaian 1881-05-14
Newspaper page from Morning Appeal carrying the name Maxfield
Morning Appeal 1887-07-26

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.

In print

Maxfield in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1980s.

4,220 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Maxfield. The most, 902, date from the 1940s. Victoria 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 Tasmania, at 3.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 2,498
Tasmania 916
South Australia 258
New South Wales 234
Western Australia 145
Queensland 116
ACT (Canberra) 48

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

Who carried it

People named Maxfield,
with a public archive behind them.

  • William Maxfield
    William Maxfield 1782–1837 · politician
  • William Maxfield
    William Maxfield 1782–1837 · politician
  • Jim Maxfield 1893–1953 · Australian rules football player
  • Richard Maxfield 1927–1969 · composer
  • Mike Maxfield 1944–2023 · songwriter

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 8 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Maxfield,
in the records of 4 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 States471 records

471 records of the Maxfield name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 193
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 79
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 79
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 45
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 42
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 27
  • Sacramento County historic burials 5
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James E. Maxfield

    Born 1917 in Washington. Enlisted 1941 at Tacoma; engineer from Clallam County. U.S. Army veteran; died 1997, buried at Tahoma National Cemetery, Washington.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Maxfield

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the City of New York from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 60; iron worker. From Monmouth, England.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Earl M. Maxfield

    U.S. Navy veteran of World War I. Born 1893, died 1978; buried at Riverside National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 471 records for Maxfield in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia402 records

402 records of the Maxfield name in Australia
  • Tasmanian Names Index 175
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 127
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 82
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 11
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 6
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Michael Maxfield

    Died 1875 in Port Sorell, Tasmania, aged 60. Will registered in Tasmania in 1875.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record William Robert John Maxfield

    Born 1867 in New Norfolk, Tasmania. Married 1893 in New Norfolk, Tasmania, aged 26.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. 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 Maxfield

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Mariner, arriving 1816; ticket of leave 1824. Native of London.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 402 records for Maxfield in Australia.

Counts: Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

Canada14 records

14 records of the Maxfield name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 10
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 2
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 1
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 1
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Henry Maxfield

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Ann & Elizabeth, bound for Port Roseway, aged 33.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Percy Joshua Maxfield

    Died 1941; 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 Wesley Martin Maxfield

    Died in service in 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 14 records for Maxfield in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); 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).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Maxfield name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 2
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Maxfield

    Buried in 1799 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 63.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. Maxfield

    King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry). 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 T. H. Maxfield

    King's Own (Yorkshire Light Infantry). Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

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

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Maxfield.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Maxfield 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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