In the 12th-century, the area now occupied by the square was known as Arkilltofts, possibly named after Arnketil, a leading figure in the city around the time of the Norman Conquest.

By the 14th-century, it was known in particular as a place to buy meat, although in the following century, only traders from outside the city could sell in the square, with York-based merchants instead confined to the nearby Shambles.

The square was also the main location for the sale of fabric, and at times, baked goods, wool, candles, and certain other foodstuffs were also sold in the market.

[2] In 1421, the widow of John Brathwayt, a former Mayor of York, donated 20 marks for the construction of a market cross, and a guard house was later built alongside it.

In 1704, Elizabeth Smith, who leased the square, obtained permission to demolish the cross, and in its place she built a small market hall, with a statue of George II.

The part of the market in St Sampson's Square continued to specialise in meat, until 1888, when it switched to selling fish.