MANSFIELD
Mansfield is an English surname that originates from the British Isles. The name is traditionally understood to be locational, arising from the town of Mansfield, a parish north of Nottingham on the river Maun in Norfolkshire. The place itself is recorded as Mamesfeld in the Domesday Book of 1086, a name thought to derive from the Ancient British hill-name mam, meaning breast-shaped, compounded with the Anglo‑Saxon word feld, meaning open country suitable for agriculture.
The surname Mansfield has its roots in Old English. The prefix mann means man, while feld denotes a field. Consequently, the meaning of the surname may be interpreted as “man’s field” or “field belonging to a man,” suggesting that the name originally referred to an individual who owned or worked upon a particular field or tract of land.
Early records exhibit a variety of spellings that reflect the linguistic diversity of the period. Variants such as Mandefeld, Mandifield, Manifield, Manterfield, as well as dialectal forms Maniford, Manford, and Mansford, have been documented. The more common spelling, Mansfield, became established over time. The first recorded instance of the name appears in 1379 in the Poll Tax returns of Yorkshire, where it is listed as Robertus Mannsfeld during the reign of King Richard the First.
In 1449, a record of Elizabeth Mansfield (later Mandeville) born at Ragnall, Nottinghamshire, illustrates an early confusion between the surname and the Norman locational name de Mandeville. However, their 1469 marriage register at Ragnall lists only the surname Mansfield, indicating that the name had acquired recognisable autonomy by that time.
Other early 16th‑century christenings provide further evidence of the name’s use and diversification. Alice Mandifield was christened at Worksop on the 4th of July 1582, Johnn Manford at St Dunstans in the East, Stepney on March 21st 1584, and John Manterfield is associated with a daughter, Mary Ann, who was christened at Thorpe by Newark on April 1st 1828. These records demonstrate the persistence of the surname and its variants across regions and generations.
John Mansfield, a resident of London, travelled on the ship Suzan and Ellin bound for New England in April 1635. He is recognised as one of the earliest recorded settlers in America bearing the surname, signalling the early spread of the name beyond the borders of the British Isles.
Typical given names associated with the Mansfield surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Alison
- Claire
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Julie
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Mansfield in...
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Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Mansfield are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Toffee Biscuit.
There are approximately 11,721 people named Mansfield in the UK. That makes it the 778th most common surname in Britain. Around 180 in a million people in Britain are named Mansfield.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Mansfield
- Jayne Mansfield - American actress, singer, model (1933 to 1967)
- Peter Mansfield - Physicist known for magnetic resonance imaging (1933 to 2017)
- Tony Mansfield - Songwriter, musician and record producer
- Ben Mansfield - Actor
- Peter Mansfield - Journalist (1928 to 1996)
- Comins Mansfield - Chess composer (1896 to 1984)
- John Mansfield - Football player
- Ralph Mansfield, 4th Baron Sandhurst - Baron (1892 to 1964)
- Fred Mansfield - Football player (1915 to 1992)
- Ron Mansfield - Football player (1923 to 1)
- Adam Mansfield -
- Horace Rendall Mansfield - Politician (1863 to 1914)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.