NameCensus.

UK surname

Mansfield

An English locational surname derived from places meaning "open land where crops are grown" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 5,616 people recorded with the Mansfield surname, ranking it #789 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,754, ranked #853, down from #789 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Derbyshire, Thurrock and Newport.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mansfield is 8,411 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.1%.

1881 census count

5,616

Ranked #789

Modern count

7,754

2016, ranked #853

Peak year

1999

8,411 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mansfield had 5,616 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #789 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,754 in 2016, ranked #853.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,674 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Mansfield surname distribution map

The map shows where the Mansfield surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Mansfield surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mansfield over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 3,426 #834
1861 historical 3,480 #813
1881 historical 5,616 #789
1891 historical 6,114 #758
1901 historical 7,157 #770
1911 historical 7,674 #679
1997 modern 7,984 #804
1998 modern 8,355 #789
1999 modern 8,411 #796
2000 modern 8,372 #794
2001 modern 8,217 #789
2002 modern 8,378 #791
2003 modern 8,092 #801
2004 modern 8,049 #806
2005 modern 7,793 #820
2006 modern 7,735 #828
2007 modern 7,822 #826
2008 modern 7,879 #825
2009 modern 8,020 #834
2010 modern 8,175 #834
2011 modern 8,068 #833
2012 modern 7,868 #834
2013 modern 7,940 #840
2014 modern 7,966 #840
2015 modern 7,827 #850
2016 modern 7,754 #853

Geography

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Where Mansfields are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Derbyshire, Thurrock and Newport. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Derbyshire 013 South Derbyshire
2 Thurrock 018 Thurrock
3 South Derbyshire 009 South Derbyshire
4 South Derbyshire 007 South Derbyshire
5 Newport 019 Newport

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mansfield

These lists show first names that appear often with the Mansfield surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mansfield

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mansfield, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Mansfield surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Mansfield household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Mansfield is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mansfield is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mansfield falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Mansfield is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Mansfield, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mansfield

The surname MANSFIELD has its origins in England and traces back to the early medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the place name "Mansfield" in Nottinghamshire, which itself comes from the Old English words "mann" meaning a man or servant, and "feld" meaning an open field or clearing. The earliest recorded spelling of the place name was "Mamesfeld" in the Domesday Book of 1086.

The name MANSFIELD first appeared in records and historical documents around the 12th century, with one of the earliest known bearers being Robert de Mannesfeld, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1176. In the 13th century, the name was also recorded as Maunsfeld, Manesfeld, and Maunnesfeld.

A notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Mansfield, who served as Lord Chief Justice of England from 1376 to 1387 during the reign of King Richard II. Another prominent figure was Sir Robert Mansfield, who was knighted in 1603 and served as Lord Mayor of London in 1616-1617.

In the 17th century, the name was also associated with the Mansfield family of Scone Palace in Scotland. One of the most famous members of this family was William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield (1705-1793), who served as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1756 to 1788 and was a prominent legal scholar and politician.

Other notable individuals with the surname MANSFIELD include the English writer Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923), known for her modernist short stories, and the American actors Jayne Mansfield (1933-1967) and Michael Mansfield (born 1950).

The name MANSFIELD has also been used as a place name in various parts of the world, particularly in the United States and Canada, reflecting the influence of English settlers and the spread of the name through migration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mansfield families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mansfield surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 915 Mansfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.67x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 915 1.67x
Essex 571 5.28x
Surrey 515 1.93x
Derbyshire 381 4.44x
Yorkshire 312 0.57x
Cambridgeshire 310 8.93x
Lancashire 284 0.44x
Kent 262 1.40x
Staffordshire 230 1.24x
Leicestershire 175 2.88x
Gloucestershire 174 1.62x
Hertfordshire 112 2.96x
Suffolk 107 1.60x
Somerset 101 1.14x
Hampshire 94 0.84x
Sussex 94 1.02x
Norfolk 90 1.07x
Oxfordshire 70 2.07x
Devon 68 0.60x
Warwickshire 59 0.43x
Worcestershire 57 0.80x
Northumberland 52 0.64x
Huntingdonshire 51 4.68x
Dorset 50 1.39x
Monmouthshire 47 1.19x
Durham 40 0.25x
Lanarkshire 40 0.23x
Nottinghamshire 39 0.53x
Northamptonshire 36 0.70x
Cheshire 35 0.29x
Berkshire 31 0.75x
Lincolnshire 30 0.34x
Glamorgan 29 0.30x
Shropshire 24 0.51x
Wiltshire 19 0.39x
Buckinghamshire 14 0.42x
Cumberland 12 0.25x
Herefordshire 11 0.49x
Midlothian 11 0.15x
Argyllshire 8 0.52x
Ayrshire 8 0.19x
Channel Islands 8 0.49x
Denbighshire 7 0.34x
Brecknockshire 6 0.55x
Cornwall 6 0.10x
Bedfordshire 5 0.18x
Royal Navy 4 0.61x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.13x
Renfrewshire 3 0.07x
Rutland 3 0.75x
Kirkcudbrightshire 2 0.25x
Morayshire 2 0.23x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.02x
Buteshire 1 0.30x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.05x
West Lothian 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 115 Mansfields recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.83x.

Place Total Index
Bethnal Green London 115 4.83x
Camberwell 97 2.77x
St Pancras London 89 2.02x
Lambeth 86 1.80x
West Ham 79 3.31x
Stoke Upon Trent 73 3.72x
Leicester St Margaret 68 4.59x
Islington London 66 1.24x
Church Gresley 58 42.47x
Mile End Old Town 54 6.24x
Chesterton 51 47.63x
Hackney London 51 1.66x
Stapenhill 48 37.56x
St Andrewthe Less 45 11.34x
Kensington London 41 1.34x
Newington 37 1.83x
St Marylebone London 37 1.26x
Liverpool 36 0.91x
Greenwich 32 3.67x
Battersea 31 1.54x
Brighton 31 1.66x
Derby St Werburgh 31 6.25x
Nottingham St Mary 31 1.62x
Tottenham 31 3.55x
Lewisham 30 3.01x
Streatham 30 7.37x
Derby St Peter 29 10.61x
Gorton 29 4.74x
Epping 28 63.67x
Maldon St Peter 28 50.78x
Nazeing 28 201.29x
Plumstead 28 4.49x
Southwark St George Martyr 28 2.54x
Leyton Low 27 12.27x
Hertford St John 26 46.16x
Holywell Cum Needingworth 26 190.48x
Paddington London 26 1.29x
Bermondsey 25 1.53x
Clerkenwell London 25 1.93x
Impington 24 321.29x
Portsea 23 1.04x
Bromley London 22 1.82x
Burslem 22 4.15x
Cheltenham 22 2.65x
Scarborough 22 4.46x
Croydon 21 1.42x
Deptford St Paul 21 1.46x
Fulham London 21 2.64x
Litchurch 21 6.08x
Ash Normandy 20 55.10x
Ashton Under Lyne 20 1.41x
Barking 20 6.32x
Bow London 20 2.87x
Clifton 20 3.68x
Roydon 20 125.79x
Waltham Holy Cross 20 19.77x
Wolverhampton 20 1.41x
Bexley 19 11.49x
Birmingham 19 0.41x
Fringford 19 246.43x
Hampstead London 19 2.22x
Shaftesbury St Peter 19 113.10x
St George Hanover 19 2.65x
St Luke London 19 2.16x
Willenhall 19 5.48x
Hinckley 17 11.79x
Manningham 17 2.54x
Saffron Walden 17 14.87x
Westminster St John 17 2.55x
Dagenham 16 24.84x
Desford 16 94.84x
Hartshorn 16 49.34x
Hertford St Andrew 16 34.28x
Hethe 16 227.27x
Horton In Bradford 16 1.89x
Manchester 16 0.55x
Monks Coppenhall 16 3.50x
Newland 16 17.71x
Shoreditch London 16 0.67x
Burton Upon Trent 15 3.46x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Mansfield surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 338
Elizabeth 220
Sarah 208
Emma 111
Ann 107
Eliza 99
Ellen 86
Jane 74
Emily 72
Alice 69
Annie 57
Hannah 56
Louisa 51
Maria 45
Charlotte 41
Ada 40
Florence 40
Martha 38
Caroline 33
Harriet 33
Lucy 31
Catherine 30
Fanny 30
Margaret 30
Edith 27
Frances 27
Kate 27
Susan 26
Clara 24
Agnes 23
Rose 23
Matilda 21
Anne 17
Rebecca 17
Amelia 15
Harriett 15
Isabella 14
Anna 13
Jessie 13
Lydia 13
Minnie 13
Sophia 12
Elizth. 11
Maud 11
Amy 10
Eleanor 10
Esther 10
Ethel 10
Susannah 10
Selina 9

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Mansfield surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 321
William 315
James 205
George 198
Henry 145
Thomas 144
Charles 123
Alfred 82
Joseph 77
Arthur 75
Edward 66
Robert 62
Frederick 61
Walter 60
Samuel 46
Richard 42
Albert 35
Harry 34
David 26
Frank 26
Edwin 21
Herbert 19
Ernest 18
Fred 18
Wm. 16
Francis 13
Patrick 13
Daniel 12
Thos. 12
Benjamin 11
Fredk. 11
Isaac 11
Mark 10
Chas. 9
Jno. 8
Stephen 8
Geo. 7
Alexander 6
Edgar 6
Edmund 6
Harold 6
Peter 6
Sidney 6
Abraham 5
Ambrose 5
Jesse 5
Joshua 5
Philip 5
Reuben 5
Tom 5

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Mansfield households.

FAQ

Mansfield surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mansfield surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,616 people were recorded with the Mansfield surname. That placed it at #789 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mansfield surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,754 in 2016. That gives Mansfield a modern rank of #853.

What does the Mansfield surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from places meaning "open land where crops are grown" in Old English.

What does the Mansfield map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Mansfield bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.