Sheffield is a unisex given name of English origin. It comes from an old English surname derived from the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. The city itself gets its name from the Old English words "shee" meaning "wide" and "-feld" meaning "field," so Sheffield originally referred to a wide field.
The use of Sheffield as a given name is relatively recent. It gained popularity in the late 20th century and early 21st century, possibly due to its association with the city's rich industrial history or its unique sound. The name has been used for both boys and girls, although it appears to be more common among males.
While Sheffield may not have a specific meaning or legend attached to it as some other names do, it holds a certain charm due to its connection to one of England's most important cities. It is often associated with the city's steel industry and its iconic football club, Sheffield Wednesday.
In literature and popular culture, there are a few notable characters named Sheffield, including Sheffield Beane in Stephen King's novel "Hearts in Atlantis" and Sheffield Grayson in the television series "The L Word." These appearances may have further contributed to the name's popularity.
The name Sheffield has a unique and somewhat sporadic pattern of usage in the United States over the past century. The earliest record of its use goes back to 1914, with a total of 8 babies being given this name that year. However, it was not until five years later, in 1919, that the name experienced its first peak in popularity, with 10 births recorded.
The following decade saw a decline in the usage of the name Sheffield, with only 8 births recorded in 1925 and 5 births each in both 1926 and 1947. However, there was another small spike in its popularity during this time period, with 7 births recorded in 1927.
The mid-twentieth century saw a steady but low usage of the name Sheffield, with only 5 births recorded each year from 1948 to 1963. There was another slight increase in its popularity during the late 1960s, with 6 births recorded in both 1968 and 2015.
More recently, there has been a renewed interest in the name Sheffield, with 6 births recorded in each of the past two years (2017 and 2018). Overall, since its first record in 1914, the name Sheffield has been given to a total of 77 babies in the United States.