10,059 Global BANFIELD Family Members

BANFIELD Family History

This surname recorded in the spellings Bamfield, Bampfield, Banfield and Banfill, is a post medieval English locational name from the parish of Weston-Bampfylde near Castle Cary, in the county of Somerset. The name derives from the pre 7th century Olde English 'bean' as in the vegetables and 'feld', an area of open land cleared for agricultural use. The village was first recorded as Westone in the10856 Domesday Book, and as 'Benefeld' in the pipe rolls of Devonshire in the year 1306. Locational surnames by the very nature were usually granted either to the lord of the manor and his or sometimes her, descendants, or to villagers who moved elsewhere, usually in search of work.