NameCensus.

UK surname

Stainton

From a stony place or settlement surrounded by stones or quarries.

In the 1881 census there were 979 people recorded with the Stainton surname, ranking it #3,972 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,160, ranked #5,089, down from #3,972 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedbergh, Partney and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Lindsey, East Riding of Yorkshire and South Lakeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stainton is 1,336 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.5%.

1881 census count

979

Ranked #3,972

Modern count

1,160

2016, ranked #5,089

Peak year

1911

1,336 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stainton had 979 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,972 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,160 in 2016, ranked #5,089.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,336 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Stainton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stainton surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Stainton 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 726 #3,613
1861 historical 753 #3,632
1881 historical 979 #3,972
1891 historical 1,169 #3,658
1901 historical 1,293 #3,854
1911 historical 1,336 #3,579
1997 modern 1,187 #4,751
1998 modern 1,218 #4,831
1999 modern 1,242 #4,776
2000 modern 1,227 #4,798
2001 modern 1,215 #4,753
2002 modern 1,223 #4,824
2003 modern 1,188 #4,850
2004 modern 1,170 #4,916
2005 modern 1,151 #4,940
2006 modern 1,148 #4,941
2007 modern 1,159 #4,954
2008 modern 1,152 #5,009
2009 modern 1,189 #4,971
2010 modern 1,222 #4,960
2011 modern 1,219 #4,910
2012 modern 1,184 #4,966
2013 modern 1,202 #4,973
2014 modern 1,203 #5,007
2015 modern 1,190 #5,008
2016 modern 1,160 #5,089

Geography

Back to top

Where Staintons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedbergh, Partney, London parishes, Gainsborough, Paddocks and Dalton-in-Furness. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Lindsey, East Riding of Yorkshire, South Lakeland and Copeland. 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 Sedbergh Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Partney Lincolnshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gainsborough, Paddocks Lincolnshire
5 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Lindsey 003 East Lindsey
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 041 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 South Lakeland 009 South Lakeland
4 East Lindsey 004 East Lindsey
5 Copeland 006 Copeland

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Stainton

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Stainton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Stainton, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Stainton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Stainton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Stainton is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Stainton 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

Stainton falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Stainton 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 Stainton, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Stainton

The surname Stainton originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "stan" meaning stone and "tun" meaning a farm or enclosure, indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a stone farm or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stainton can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name is mentioned in connection with various locations, such as Stainton in Yorkshire and Stainton in Cumbria.

During the Middle Ages, the name Stainton appeared in various historical documents and records, often associated with landowners and prominent families in northern England. For example, the Stainton family held lands in the village of Stainton in the North Riding of Yorkshire for several centuries.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Stainton was William Stainton (c. 1520-1590), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Durham. Another prominent individual was Sir Henry Stainton (1578-1633), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Hedon in Yorkshire.

In the 19th century, Henry Tibbats Stainton (1822-1892) was a renowned English entomologist and founder of the Entomological Society of London. He made significant contributions to the study of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) and published numerous works on the subject.

Other notable individuals with the surname Stainton include Walter Henry Stainton (1846-1914), an English architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in the late Victorian era, and Edward Stainton (1854-1930), a British businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Nottingham from 1906 to 1918.

While the surname Stainton has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and has taken on various spellings and variations over time. However, its origins can be traced back to the stone farms and settlements of medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Stainton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stainton 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. Lincolnshire leads with 229 Staintons recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.97x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 229 14.97x
Yorkshire 227 2.39x
Lancashire 103 0.91x
Cumberland 88 10.68x
Warwickshire 75 3.11x
Westmorland 61 29.00x
Middlesex 45 0.47x
Surrey 32 0.69x
Durham 21 0.74x
Worcestershire 18 1.44x
Kent 16 0.49x
Roxburghshire 15 8.65x
Fife 7 1.24x
Staffordshire 6 0.19x
Bedfordshire 5 1.01x
Essex 5 0.26x
Northumberland 5 0.35x
Flintshire 4 1.56x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.49x
Hampshire 2 0.10x
Leicestershire 2 0.19x
Sussex 2 0.12x
Wiltshire 2 0.24x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.26x
Derbyshire 1 0.07x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.39x
Gloucestershire 1 0.05x
Hertfordshire 1 0.15x
Oxfordshire 1 0.17x
Shropshire 1 0.12x
Suffolk 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sedbergh in Yorkshire leads with 32 Staintons recorded in 1881 and an index of 914.29x.

Place Total Index
Sedbergh 32 914.29x
Birmingham 31 3.85x
Barrow In Furness 29 18.78x
Gainsborough 27 74.85x
Aston 24 3.61x
Barrow On Humber 22 247.75x
Partney 22 1517.24x
Kendal 21 54.55x
Kings Norton 18 16.06x
Louth 17 48.47x
Whitehaven 15 34.16x
Arlecdon 14 63.90x
Edgbaston 14 18.71x
Sedburgh 13 329.11x
Holy Trinity 12 5.26x
Roxby Cum Risby 12 875.91x
Pennington In Ulverston 11 194.69x
Egremont 10 50.92x
Leeds 10 1.87x
North Somercotes 10 249.38x
Cottingham 9 44.03x
Gosforth 9 223.88x
Riccall 9 350.19x
Rotherhithe 9 7.61x
St Cuthbert W O 9 22.41x
Ulverston 9 27.22x
York St Maurice 9 50.39x
Dalby 8 1538.46x
Everton 8 2.21x
Fixby 8 484.85x
Snaith Cowick 8 141.09x
St Pancras London 8 1.04x
Welton Le Wold 8 733.95x
West Keal 8 661.16x
Wilton 8 42.06x
Winterton 8 152.38x
Clee With Weelsby 7 20.90x
Danby Commondale 7 673.08x
Ferry Port On Craig 7 75.11x
Greenwich 7 4.60x
Hawick 7 18.05x
Norton 7 66.86x
Over Staveley 7 292.89x
Papcastle 7 304.35x
Preston Richard 7 362.69x
Satterthwaite 7 472.97x
Upper Allithwaite E 7 380.43x
Urswick 7 165.88x
York St Crux 7 260.22x
Bethnal Green London 6 1.44x
Chertsey 6 19.91x
Conisbrough 6 67.42x
Dorrington 6 461.54x
Elsham 6 365.85x
Hackney London 6 1.12x
Islington London 6 0.65x
Skidby 6 504.20x
Stockton On Tees 6 4.37x
Toxteth Park 6 1.56x
Westoe 6 3.72x
Wootton 6 315.79x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 5 5.66x
Bermondsey 5 1.76x
Boston 5 10.77x
Doncaster 5 7.22x
Enfield 5 7.96x
Kelstern 5 877.19x
Lamplugh 5 121.07x
Luton 5 5.83x
Nether Graveship 5 248.76x
Sculcoates 5 3.33x
St Bees 5 131.23x
Tottenham 5 3.28x
Wakefield 5 6.87x
Wanstead 5 15.11x
Driby 4 1052.63x
Great Grimsby 4 4.12x
Heversham With Milnthorpe 4 79.05x
Long Sleddale 4 888.89x
Wandsworth 4 4.34x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 73
William 70
George 46
Thomas 35
James 30
Henry 23
Joseph 21
Robert 13
Charles 12
Richard 12
Alfred 11
Arthur 9
Samuel 9
Edward 7
Frederick 7
Harry 7
Matthew 6
Herbert 5
Ernest 4
Frank 4
Tom 4
Wm. 4
Albert 3
Fred 3
Geo. 3
Augustus 2
David 2
Edmund 2
Frances 2
Francis 2
Mathew 2
Philip 2
Robt. 2
Walter 2
Willm. 2
Benjamin 1
Cornelius 1
Fredk. 1
Hedley 1
Hodgson 1
Howard 1
Hugh 1
Laurence 1
Maurice 1
Michael 1
Moses 1
Nathaniel 1
Nicholson 1
Patrick 1
Rushby 1

FAQ

Stainton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stainton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 979 people were recorded with the Stainton surname. That placed it at #3,972 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stainton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,160 in 2016. That gives Stainton a modern rank of #5,089.

What does the Stainton surname mean?

From a stony place or settlement surrounded by stones or quarries.

What does the Stainton map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Stainton 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.