Field History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestry of the name Field dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in the area that was near a field. This surname is a topographic name and is derived from the Old English word feld, which literally means the pasture or open country. 1

In this case, the bearer of the surname Field lived in an area of land that was cleared of forest.

Interestingly, “Field, or De la Felda embraces both English and Norman families. Richard de la Felda is mentioned in Normandy, temp John.” [reign 1199-1216] 2 This duality of origin is indeed rare.

Early Origins of the Field family

The surname Field was first found in many shires and counties throughout Britain. Some of the earliest records show: Thomas atte Felde in the Writs of Parliament of 1301; William de la Felde in Gloucestershire during reign of King Edward I; and John de la Felde in Herefordshire at about the same time. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Linot ate [atte] Feld and William a la Feld in Oxfordshire. 3

Robert de Felde was listed as a Templar in Gloucestershire in 1185 and Hugo de la Felde was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1188. John del Feld was listed in Suffolk in 1190 and James atte Felde was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296. 4