By the time of the Domesday Book of 1086, the settlement was called Mammesfeld, later changing to Maunnesfeld in 1227. During the reign of King Richard II, it changed again to Mannesfeld.
Mansfield has hosted a market for over 700 years. It has also been influenced by its industrial past of coal mining and textiles, which thrived up until the 1990s. Today, however, the town is better known for several Afternoon Tea Mansfield establishments.