Mansfield
A habitational surname from Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, originally meaning the open land by the River Maun.
The #1,923 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 16,488 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Mansfield is a habitational surname taken from the town of Mansfield in Nottinghamshire. The place-name is usually explained as 'Maun's field' or 'the field/plain by the River Maun,' with the second element from Old English feld, meaning an open country or cleared tract. The river-name Maun is probably older than English, and some writers thought it may be Celtic in origin.
History
The surname was used by people who had come from Mansfield, and early records show forms such as Mannsfeld and Mansfeilde. Older surname dictionaries also note that some families may have arrived at the name from other places called Mansfield or from related local names. Because it is a place-name surname, it spread in England and later in English-speaking countries through migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Mansfield is one of those surnames whose meaning depends on a small local river: the town takes its name from the River Maun, which is still part of the etymology today.
From the historical record
“also cp. O.E.pldh, a plot of (plough-) land] MANSFIELD (Eng.) Bel. to Mansfield = the Field or Plain of the River Maun or Mann [the river-name is probi Celt., ? Wei. {afon) man, small (river) + O.E. feld] Mansfield is situated on the N. bank of the small river Maun or Maun.— Nat. Gaz. MANSON ffing.) Man(n)'s Son …”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)