A 1880s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Fielding since 1884
Babies named Fielding per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2022, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Fielding's real moment was 1885.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 13 |
| 1890s | 0 |
| 1900s | 0 |
| 1910s | 59 |
| 1920s | 69 |
| 1930s | 42 |
| 1940s | 58 |
| 1950s | 33 |
| 1960s | 31 |
| 1970s | 5 |
| 1980s | 71 |
| 1990s | 33 |
| 2000s | 22 |
| 2010s | 111 |
| 2020s | 55 |
Meaning & origin
Fielding is a rare English surname-turned-first name that has never cracked the U.S. top 1,000. Its strongest historical showing came in 1885, when it reached its peak popularity at rank 1,054. After a long period of obscurity, the name's trajectory has been rising since 2003, reflecting the modern appetite for vintage occupational surnames. With no top states concentrated and very low usage (fewer than 50 births per year), Fielding remains a distinctive choice for parents seeking a quietly literary feel, evoking the novelist Henry Fielding. Its meaning is rooted in the English landscape, making it a subtle nod to nature without being overtly thematic.
Fielding is an English surname transferred to given name use, derived from a place name meaning 'dweller at the field' or 'from the field'. It originates from Old English 'feld' meaning 'pasture, open land' plus the patronymic suffix '-ing'. The name emerged as a given name in the 19th century, part of the fashion for using surnames as first names, particularly among the British gentry. It has seen occasional but consistent use since then.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Field
Sibling names for Fielding
Names that share Fielding's style, for a brother or sister.
