Hatfield
A habitational surname meaning “from Hatfield,” taken from one of several English places of that name.
The #1,017 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 8,980 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hatfield is a place-name surname from several English settlements called Hatfield. The name is generally explained from Old English words meaning “heath” or “heather” plus “field” or open land, so the sense is roughly “open land by the heather.” In surname use, it simply identified someone who came from one of these places, especially Hatfield in Hertfordshire, Essex, or Yorkshire.
History
The surname appears in medieval records as a straightforward local name and remained widespread in England. Later spelling variation produced forms such as Hatfeild and the corrupted Hatfull. In modern times it is well established in Britain and the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One of the best-known English place-name bearers is Hatfield in Hertfordshire, famous today for Hatfield House, home of the Cecil family.
From the historical record
“exists. HATFIELD. See Hatfeild. HATFULL. A corruption of Hatfield. HATHAWAY. HATHWAY. HAD- AWAY. Correspond with the Old Germ, names Hathuwi, Hathwi, Hadewi. Fer- guson. HATHERLEY. Two parishes In co. Gloucester.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom