Bancroft \b(a)-ncro-ft, ban(c)-roft\ as a boy's name is of Old English origin, and the meaning of Bancroft is "field of beans". One of the Anglo-Saxon place names used as given names to refer to simple, homely agricultural landmarks. Huwe Howe Bancroft was a prominent historian in the western America whose collection forms the nucleus of the Bancroft Library of the University of California.

Bancroft has 5 variant forms: Ban, Bancrofft, Banfield, Bank and Binky.