NameCensus.

UK surname

Stanton

A habitational surname derived from any of the numerous places in England named Stanton, meaning "stone town."

In the 1881 census there were 5,968 people recorded with the Stanton surname, ranking it #740 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 9,025, ranked #725, up from #740 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Vale of White Horse, Sheffield and Walsall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stanton is 9,610 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.2%.

1881 census count

5,968

Ranked #740

Modern count

9,025

2016, ranked #725

Peak year

1999

9,610 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stanton had 5,968 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #740 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 9,025 in 2016, ranked #725.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 8,083 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Stanton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stanton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stanton 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 3,744 #762
1861 historical 3,548 #794
1881 historical 5,968 #740
1891 historical 6,280 #739
1901 historical 7,559 #712
1911 historical 8,083 #625
1997 modern 9,197 #681
1998 modern 9,528 #685
1999 modern 9,610 #685
2000 modern 9,561 #684
2001 modern 9,339 #686
2002 modern 9,458 #695
2003 modern 9,197 #696
2004 modern 9,190 #698
2005 modern 8,902 #711
2006 modern 8,909 #709
2007 modern 8,988 #712
2008 modern 9,047 #706
2009 modern 9,235 #707
2010 modern 9,407 #717
2011 modern 9,327 #711
2012 modern 9,028 #720
2013 modern 9,238 #716
2014 modern 9,240 #721
2015 modern 9,139 #722
2016 modern 9,025 #725

Geography

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Where Stantons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Liverpool and Walsall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Vale of White Horse, Sheffield, Walsall, Bridgend and Sevenoaks. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Walsall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Vale of White Horse 009 Vale of White Horse
2 Sheffield 009 Sheffield
3 Walsall 012 Walsall
4 Bridgend 008 Bridgend
5 Sevenoaks 003 Sevenoaks

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stanton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stanton

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Stanton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Stanton household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Stanton 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

Stanton is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Stanton falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Stanton

The surname Stanton has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English words "stan" meaning stone and "tun" meaning town or settlement, suggesting that it was originally a place name referring to a settlement near a prominent stone or rocky area.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Stanton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as a place name in several English counties, including Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Oxfordshire. This suggests that the surname likely originated as a locational name, referring to someone who lived in or near one of the places called Stanton.

In the 12th century, a notable figure named William de Stanton was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, indicating the use of Stanton as a surname during this period. Another early record is from 1273, when a Henry de Stanton was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire.

Throughout history, the Stanton surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Staunton, Stantoun, and Stantone, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations in record-keeping. These variations were common in the Middle Ages before standardized spelling became more widespread.

Notable individuals who bore the Stanton surname include Sir Thomas Stanton (1548-1618), an English diplomat and member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable figure was Michael Stanhope (1508-1552), an English Protestant reformer and religious writer who was burned at the stake for heresy during the reign of Queen Mary I.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Stanton surname was Thomas Stanton (1616-1677), an English-born settler who became an interpreter and colonial leader in Connecticut. He played a significant role in negotiating with Native American tribes and helped establish the town of Stonington, Connecticut.

Other notable individuals with the Stanton surname include Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902), a prominent American social activist and leading figure in the early women's rights movement, and Edwin M. Stanton (1814-1869), an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Secretary of War during the American Civil War under President Abraham Lincoln.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stanton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stanton 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. Middlesex leads with 923 Stantons recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.58x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 923 1.58x
Lancashire 673 0.97x
Staffordshire 569 2.89x
Worcestershire 386 5.07x
Surrey 292 1.03x
Northamptonshire 287 5.24x
Yorkshire 248 0.43x
Warwickshire 219 1.49x
Gloucestershire 185 1.62x
Kent 178 0.90x
Cheshire 177 1.38x
Lincolnshire 116 1.25x
Bedfordshire 111 3.68x
Northumberland 107 1.23x
Norfolk 104 1.16x
Derbyshire 93 1.02x
Cornwall 90 1.36x
Buckinghamshire 83 2.36x
Durham 83 0.48x
Hertfordshire 82 2.04x
Leicestershire 80 1.24x
Essex 71 0.62x
Nottinghamshire 70 0.89x
Oxfordshire 61 1.70x
Suffolk 56 0.79x
Shropshire 51 1.01x
Cambridgeshire 43 1.17x
Monmouthshire 43 1.02x
Lanarkshire 42 0.22x
Sussex 41 0.42x
Devon 40 0.33x
Hampshire 39 0.33x
Glamorgan 38 0.37x
Dorset 37 0.97x
Somerset 37 0.39x
Midlothian 33 0.42x
Brecknockshire 32 2.75x
Wiltshire 28 0.54x
Herefordshire 26 1.09x
Angus 14 0.26x
Berkshire 14 0.32x
Channel Islands 8 0.46x
Cumberland 8 0.16x
Perthshire 8 0.31x
Royal Navy 8 1.15x
Denbighshire 5 0.23x
Montgomeryshire 5 0.37x
Radnorshire 5 1.06x
Rutland 5 1.17x
Kinross-shire 3 2.04x
Roxburghshire 3 0.28x
Argyllshire 2 0.12x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.13x
Flintshire 2 0.13x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.17x
Ayrshire 1 0.02x
Cardiganshire 1 0.07x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.05x
Renfrewshire 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 133 Stantons recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.17x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 133 3.17x
St Pancras London 93 1.98x
Walsall Foreign 86 8.47x
Birmingham 82 1.67x
Bethnal Green London 77 3.04x
Islington London 73 1.29x
West Bromwich 70 6.22x
Tipton 67 11.13x
Bromsgrove 63 24.60x
St Marylebone London 62 1.99x
Hinxworth 57 962.84x
Aston 54 1.33x
Battersea 53 2.47x
Camberwell 53 1.42x
Lambeth 52 1.02x
Boulmer Seaton House 50 1128.67x
Leicester St Margaret 40 2.54x
Stockport 40 6.04x
Everton 39 1.77x
Bromley London 38 2.96x
West Ham 38 1.50x
Kensington London 37 1.14x
Nottingham St Mary 37 1.82x
Sedgley 37 5.07x
Wolverhampton 37 2.45x
Wootton 37 227.13x
Accrington 36 5.73x
Stafford St Mary 36 12.93x
Bermondsey 35 2.02x
Cheltenham 34 3.86x
Feckenham 33 37.90x
Mile End Old Town 33 3.59x
St Luke London 32 3.42x
Chesterfield 31 9.07x
Dudley 31 3.35x
Leeds 31 0.95x
Lewisham 31 2.92x
Poplar London 31 2.82x
Clerkenwell London 30 2.18x
Hackney London 30 0.92x
Preston 30 1.62x
Shoreditch London 30 1.19x
St Cleer 29 50.71x
St Germans 28 60.87x
Bishops Cleeve 27 93.20x
Paddington London 27 1.26x
Northampton St Giles 26 12.46x
Birkenhead 24 2.34x
Great Malvern 24 15.12x
Northampton All Sts 24 12.91x
Oldham 24 1.08x
Sheffield 24 1.31x
Worcester St Peter 24 16.67x
Brightside Bierlow 23 2.03x
Chester St John Baptist 23 9.95x
Deptford St Paul 23 1.50x
Hanslope 23 72.67x
Spalding 23 12.44x
Chelsea London 22 1.25x
Great Wyrley 21 98.31x
St George Hanover 21 2.76x
St Giles In Fields 21 10.45x
Woolwich 21 2.86x
Claines 20 9.58x
Dersingham 20 98.91x
Northampton Priory St 20 6.08x
Walsall Borough 20 13.10x
Warrington 20 2.44x
Westminster St John 20 2.82x
Ashton Under Lyne 19 1.26x
Harborne 19 3.01x
Manchester 19 0.61x
Salford 19 0.93x
Cannock 18 5.25x
Govan 18 0.39x
Great Bolton 18 1.97x
Marston St Lawrence 18 231.96x
Newcastle Under Lyme 18 5.17x
Abergavenny 17 10.78x
Newport Pagnell 17 23.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 400
Sarah 204
Elizabeth 194
Ann 123
Ellen 107
Eliza 105
Emma 102
Annie 89
Jane 82
Alice 72
Margaret 70
Emily 64
Catherine 57
Harriet 51
Louisa 51
Martha 47
Kate 45
Bridget 43
Hannah 41
Maria 40
Edith 35
Fanny 35
Charlotte 34
Florence 31
Anne 30
Caroline 28
Agnes 26
Susan 26
Lucy 24
Clara 23
Amelia 22
Rose 22
Harriett 21
Ada 19
Julia 18
Amy 16
Frances 16
Matilda 15
Minnie 14
Esther 13
Selina 13
Eleanor 12
Anna 11
Winifred 11
Ethel 10
Isabella 10
Lizzie 10
Elizth. 9
Jessie 9
Maud 9

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 370
William 341
Thomas 221
George 197
James 189
Henry 100
Joseph 88
Charles 81
Edward 80
Robert 66
Alfred 65
Samuel 65
Arthur 52
Richard 49
Frederick 46
Patrick 43
Walter 37
Harry 34
Albert 32
Michael 31
Ernest 19
Frank 19
Herbert 18
Francis 16
Edwin 15
Martin 15
Wm. 15
Benjamin 14
Geo. 14
Thos. 13
David 12
Daniel 11
Peter 11
Stephen 11
Fred 10
Fredk. 10
Matthew 10
Tom 9
Fredrick 8
Leonard 8
Willm. 8
Edmund 7
Hugh 7
W. 7
Andrew 6
Jeremiah 6
Jno. 6
Cornelius 5
Josiah 5
Lewis 5

FAQ

Stanton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stanton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,968 people were recorded with the Stanton surname. That placed it at #740 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stanton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 9,025 in 2016. That gives Stanton a modern rank of #725.

What does the Stanton surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from any of the numerous places in England named Stanton, meaning "stone town."

What does the Stanton map show?

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