Origins of the Stanley surname

What does the name Stanley mean?

The Stanley surname is English. The origin of the surname is geographic, with Middle English roots. It derives from the 'stan ley' (stony meadow) that has become a place name in a number of parts of the country. It would have been given to those who lived in or near this particular feature, or came from the areas of this name.

Alternative variations of the name Stanley

Stanley, Stanlie, Stanly, Stenley, Stanleye

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Delve deeper into the Stanley family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 292North West 755Isle of Man 15Yorkshire 1755East Midlands 782West Midlands 1641East 703London 2740South East 1167South West 439South Wales 146Mid Wales 11West Wales 2North Wales 68Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Stanleys lived in london

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

26,000 Stanley Travel & migration records
120,000 Stanleys found in all Census records

Interesting facts about Stanley

How common is your surname?

280th most common surname in the UK

We have for the Stanley surname. The oldest one dates back to 1264.

Who were Stanleys most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Stanleys.

What are the most common Stanley first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of Stanley family members
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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Stanleys

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Commmon female occupations for Stanleys in 1921

Dressmaker

434

Laundress

331

Domestic Servant

312

General Servant Domestic

291

General Servant

217

Commmon male occupations for Stanleys in 1921

General Labourer

511

Agricultural Labourer

499

Coal Miner

442

Farm Labourer

261

Blacksmith

259

We found over 250,000 family trees with the Stanley surname

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