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Oldfield Family History

Oldfield Surname Meaning

English (mainly Yorkshire and Lancashire): topographic name for someone who lived by ‘the old field’ (Middle English olde + feld) or who lived in a district that had been named in Old English as ‘the old open country’ (ald feld). This is the source of placenames such as Allfield in Condover (Shropshire), Alfell Farm in Elmstead (Essex), Oldfield Grove in Langley (Essex), and several places in Cambridgeshire called (The) Offal as well as many places called Oldfield in Yorkshire.

Oldfield near Ludden Foot in Sowerby and another place so called in Honley next to Meltham are known to have given rise to hereditary surnames.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Oldfield family from?

You can see how Oldfield families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Oldfield family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Oldfield families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,839 Oldfield families living in Yorkshire. This was about 34% of all the recorded Oldfield's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Oldfield families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Oldfield surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Oldfield ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Oldfield. 11% of Oldfield men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Oldfield women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Oldfield were Retired and Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Oldfield | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    11%
  • Builders Labourer
    3%
  • Bricklayer
    3%
  • Retired
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

What Oldfield family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 123,000 census records available for the last name Oldfield. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Oldfield census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Oldfield

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Oldfield. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Oldfield immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Oldfield. For the veterans among your Oldfield ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Oldfield military records

You've only scratched the surface of Oldfield family history

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What is the average Oldfield lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Oldfield life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Oldfield in 1941 was 50, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Oldfield

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Oldfield ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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