The Sheffield surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 19,738 people carried this name — #1,817 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 14,900 people counted. That is up 4% from 18,983 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Sheffield surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

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

As an English and Welsh surname

An early record he cites: Johannes de Schefeld, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 683 · public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 78 people named Sheffield live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Río Negro.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Río Negro 64
Neuquén 14

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Sheffield was found among the farmers of Leicestershire and Rutland: 13 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Leicestershire and Rutland 13

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

48 families named Sheffield, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 284 people lived in those households, 5.9 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 4 other spellings. 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

Rhode Island 16
Connecticut 12
New York 5
North Carolina 5
Massachusetts 4
Virginia 4
Vermont 2

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. 261 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Sheffield in American newspapers,
1887–1910.

Newspaper page from The Progressive Farmer And Southern Farm Gazette carrying the name Sheffield
The Progressive Farmer And Southern Farm Gazette 1910-04-02
Newspaper page from The Mirror And Farmer carrying the name Sheffield
The Mirror And Farmer 1903-05-28
Newspaper page from The Pascagoula Democrat-star carrying the name Sheffield
The Pascagoula Democrat-star 1887-01-07

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

In print

Sheffield in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

6,982 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Sheffield. The most, 1,267, date from the 1930s. 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 3.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 2,300
New South Wales 1,498
Tasmania 1,308
Queensland 798
South Australia 553
Western Australia 469
ACT (Canberra) 31
Northern Territory 1

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

Who carried it

People named Sheffield,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Sheffield d. 1641 · politician
  • John Sheffield d. 1614 · politician
  • Lady Mary Sheffield d. 1619
  • Edith Maud Sheffield d. 1955
  • Sir Robert Sheffield, 3rd Bt. d. 1815
  • Louisa Sheffield d. 1904

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Sheffield,
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 States1,255 records

1,255 records of the Sheffield name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 639
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 232
  • Other U.S. records 384
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record William H. Sheffield

    Born 1906 in California. Enlisted 1943 at Phoenix, Arizona; dancer. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1986, buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, California.

    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 James L. Sheffield

    Born 1933; from Irwin County, Georgia. U.S. Army, light weapons infantry leader; killed in action 1953 in North Korea.

    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 Margaret Sheffield

    Arrived at New York in 1874 aboard the Queen from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 26; servant. From Ireland.

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

Showing 3 of 1,255 records for Sheffield 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) · 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) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · 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); 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).

Australia241 records

241 records of the Sheffield name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 132
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 54
  • Other Australian records 55
  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 William Sheffield

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the William Metcalfe, sailing from Portsmouth in 1834. Native of Keswick, Cumberland.

    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 Edmund Sheffield

    Arrived in Victoria in 1855 aboard the Boomerang, 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 Augustin Sheffield

    Farmer of Warragul, Victoria; died 1939.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 241 records for Sheffield in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). 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).

Canada142 records

142 records of the Sheffield name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 123
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 8
  • Other Canadian records 11
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ed Sheffield

    Came to Ontario in 1874 aboard the N. Scotian, bound for Widder, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Lalia B. Sheffield

    Buried in 1914 at Union Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 64.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record John Augustus Sheffield

    Died 1954 in Kentville, Kings, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 142 records for Sheffield in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom8 records

8 records of the Sheffield name in the United Kingdom
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 4
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 3
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Robert Sheffield

    Will proved in 1919; of Carnarvon, Carnarvon.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record H. Sheffield

    Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    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. E. Sheffield

    Gunner, 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)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Sheffield in the United Kingdom.

Counts: MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand7 records

7 records of the Sheffield name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Rodney Walter Sheffield

    Died 1985, aged 67; buried at Ruru Lawn, 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 Viola Sara Sheffield

    Died 1952, aged 67; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Madlene Sheffield

    Died 1970, aged 84; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Sheffield in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City 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).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Sheffield name in the Netherlands Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Berkeley George Digby Sheffield

    Married in 1904 in 's-Gravenhage.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Sheffield.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Sheffield 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.

See the Sheffield volume
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