NameCensus.

UK surname

Stone

An occupational surname referring to someone who lived or worked near a prominent rock or who worked as a stonecutter.

In the 1881 census there were 21,581 people recorded with the Stone surname, ranking it #162 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 30,271, ranked #180, down from #162 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Weymouth and Portland, Derbyshire Dales and South Hams.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stone is 31,572 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.3%.

1881 census count

21,581

Ranked #162

Modern count

30,271

2016, ranked #180

Peak year

1999

31,572 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stone had 21,581 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #162 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 30,271 in 2016, ranked #180.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 30,412 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Stone surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stone surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stone 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 14,605 #155
1861 historical 14,955 #152
1881 historical 21,581 #162
1891 historical 24,130 #146
1901 historical 27,463 #156
1911 historical 30,412 #123
1997 modern 30,199 #171
1998 modern 31,419 #173
1999 modern 31,572 #175
2000 modern 31,448 #173
2001 modern 30,603 #175
2002 modern 31,233 #174
2003 modern 30,407 #174
2004 modern 30,376 #174
2005 modern 29,691 #178
2006 modern 29,453 #179
2007 modern 29,571 #179
2008 modern 29,548 #182
2009 modern 30,255 #182
2010 modern 30,990 #180
2011 modern 30,444 #180
2012 modern 29,977 #180
2013 modern 30,749 #180
2014 modern 30,812 #180
2015 modern 30,444 #180
2016 modern 30,271 #180

Geography

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Where Stones are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and Portland. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Weymouth and Portland, Derbyshire Dales, South Hams, South Gloucestershire and Sedgemoor. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Portland Dorset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Weymouth and Portland 009 Weymouth and Portland
2 Derbyshire Dales 006 Derbyshire Dales
3 South Hams 011 South Hams
4 South Gloucestershire 029 South Gloucestershire
5 Sedgemoor 009 Sedgemoor

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stone

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stone

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Stone, 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 Stone surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Stone 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Stone is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Stone is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Stone falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Stone

The surname STONE is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "stan" meaning a stone or rock. It likely originated as a toponymic name for someone who lived near a prominent stone or rocky area.

The name STONE can be traced back to the 11th century in England, with early recordings found in the Domesday Book of 1086. This significant historical record includes references to individuals bearing variations of the name, such as Radulfus de la Stane and Willelmus de Stanes.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the STONE surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a Richard de la Stone is listed. In the same century, the Placita de Quo Warranto records from 1292 mention a John de la Stone from Worcestershire.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname was often spelled with prefixes like "de la" or "atte," indicating a person's association with a particular location or landmark. Examples include Geoffrey atte Stone from Essex in 1327 and John de la Stone from Staffordshire in 1332.

Notable historical figures with the surname STONE include:

1. William Stone (1603-1660), an English settler and the third Proprietary Governor of Maryland. 2. Gregory Stone (1586-1655), an English mathematician and astronomer. 3. Nicholas Stone (1586-1647), an English sculptor and architect during the Renaissance period. 4. Thomas Stone (1743-1787), a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence from Maryland. 5. Ebenezer Stone (1766-1846), an American minister and educator who served as the fifth President of Yale College.

The surname STONE has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Stoneham in Hampshire, Stoneleigh in Warwickshire, and Stonehouse in Gloucestershire, further reinforcing its connection to physical landmarks or geological features.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stone families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stone 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 3,151 Stones recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.49x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 3,151 1.49x
Surrey 1,693 1.65x
Somerset 1,498 4.41x
Kent 1,322 1.83x
Devon 1,284 2.92x
Gloucestershire 1,088 2.63x
Dorset 1,082 7.81x
Derbyshire 1,059 3.20x
Lancashire 793 0.32x
Hampshire 734 1.70x
Sussex 705 1.98x
Essex 607 1.46x
Staffordshire 597 0.84x
Yorkshire 587 0.28x
Wiltshire 579 3.10x
Norfolk 546 1.68x
Buckinghamshire 433 3.39x
Warwickshire 406 0.76x
Cornwall 332 1.39x
Suffolk 321 1.25x
Oxfordshire 320 2.45x
Berkshire 317 2.00x
Glamorgan 233 0.63x
Hertfordshire 232 1.59x
Worcestershire 227 0.82x
Leicestershire 181 0.77x
Nottinghamshire 179 0.63x
Monmouthshire 163 1.07x
Durham 136 0.22x
Cheshire 110 0.24x
Bedfordshire 97 0.89x
Herefordshire 71 0.82x
Lincolnshire 67 0.20x
Channel Islands 51 0.82x
Cambridgeshire 48 0.36x
Lanarkshire 48 0.07x
Shropshire 45 0.25x
Carmarthenshire 41 0.46x
Northamptonshire 41 0.21x
Northumberland 36 0.11x
Midlothian 29 0.10x
Renfrewshire 24 0.15x
Royal Navy 24 0.95x
Angus 20 0.10x
Rutland 15 0.97x
Pembrokeshire 14 0.21x
Brecknockshire 13 0.31x
Caernarfonshire 9 0.11x
Cumberland 9 0.05x
Kincardineshire 6 0.23x
Fife 5 0.04x
Berwickshire 4 0.16x
Huntingdonshire 4 0.10x
Denbighshire 2 0.03x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.04x
Argyllshire 1 0.02x
Ayrshire 1 0.01x
Buteshire 1 0.08x
East Lothian 1 0.04x
Orkney 1 0.04x
Perthshire 1 0.01x
Radnorshire 1 0.06x
Ross-shire 1 0.02x
Shetland 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portland in Dorset leads with 404 Stones recorded in 1881 and an index of 54.21x.

Place Total Index
Portland 404 54.21x
St Pancras London 315 1.85x
Islington London 291 1.42x
Lambeth 258 1.40x
Brighton 190 2.65x
Bristol St George 182 9.50x
Kensington London 177 1.51x
Hammersmith London 164 3.15x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 156 4.00x
Aston 154 1.05x
West Ham 154 1.67x
Hackney London 149 1.26x
Shoreditch London 148 1.62x
Portsea 143 1.69x
Newington 142 1.82x
Birmingham 141 0.79x
Battersea 135 1.74x
St Marylebone London 134 1.19x
Bedminster 129 4.04x
Bermondsey 123 1.96x
Paddington London 120 1.55x
Tottenham 114 3.39x
Camberwell 109 0.81x
Chelsea London 107 1.68x
Heage 107 61.16x
Bethnal Green London 102 1.11x
Deptford St Paul 102 1.84x
Wycombe 98 10.30x
Clerkenwell London 93 1.87x
Mile End Old Town 91 2.73x
St George Hanover 91 3.30x
Bromley London 85 1.83x
Wyke Regis 84 42.24x
Bitton Oldland 83 19.60x
Walcot 76 4.20x
Stapleton 73 9.29x
Tormoham 73 3.92x
Elton 72 193.03x
Belper 71 11.08x
Great Yarmouth 71 2.64x
Trevethin 68 4.72x
Wolverhampton 66 1.20x
Maidstone 65 3.03x
Gillingham 63 26.45x
St Luke London 63 1.86x
Southampton St Mary 62 2.28x
Swindon 62 4.28x
Rotherhithe 61 2.34x
Clapham 60 2.27x
Poole St James 60 11.52x
Liverpool 59 0.39x
Manchester 59 0.52x
Southwark St George Martyr 59 1.39x
Croydon 58 1.02x
Stokenham 58 46.84x
Bridgewater 55 5.96x
North Petherton 55 20.06x
Cheltenham 54 1.69x
Derby St Werburgh 53 2.78x
Leeds 53 0.45x
Walsall Foreign 53 1.44x
Crediton 51 12.24x
Lewisham 51 1.33x
Radnage 51 165.21x
Burton Upon Trent 49 2.94x
Farnham 49 6.12x
Leicester St Margaret 49 0.86x
Limehouse London 49 2.11x
Westbury On Trym 49 3.49x
Nottingham St Mary 48 0.65x
Stoke Upon Trent 48 0.64x
Poplar London 46 1.15x
Westminster St John 46 1.79x
Watford 44 3.90x
Ealing 43 2.28x
Taunton St James 43 8.67x
Taunton St Mary 43 6.89x
Westminster St James 43 1.98x
Salford 42 0.57x
Stockland Bristol 42 305.90x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1,304
Elizabeth 857
Sarah 725
Eliza 400
Jane 385
Ann 356
Ellen 354
Emma 352
Emily 323
Alice 318
Annie 294
Louisa 192
Martha 190
Hannah 188
Charlotte 168
Caroline 156
Harriet 146
Edith 143
Maria 142
Florence 131
Lucy 128
Fanny 125
Ada 123
Kate 121
Susan 118
Margaret 113
Catherine 98
Harriett 94
Clara 80
Frances 78
Amelia 70
Anne 68
Rose 67
Agnes 66
Matilda 64
Sophia 63
Minnie 58
Laura 56
Esther 53
Rebecca 52
Julia 48
Elizth. 47
Bessie 45
Anna 44
Gertrude 44
Amy 41
Ethel 41
Isabella 41
Eleanor 37
Lydia 36

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 1,422
John 1,111
George 811
James 636
Thomas 554
Henry 552
Charles 447
Edward 269
Alfred 268
Joseph 268
Robert 248
Samuel 237
Frederick 225
Albert 207
Arthur 194
Richard 172
Walter 163
Harry 126
Frank 118
Ernest 106
Edwin 86
Herbert 81
Francis 80
Benjamin 79
Sidney 54
Wm. 50
Isaac 48
Stephen 47
Fred 46
Daniel 42
David 42
Sydney 31
Tom 31
Thos. 28
Fredk. 27
Fredrick 27
Chas. 26
Edmund 25
Geo. 25
Mark 25
Percy 21
Leonard 20
Philip 19
Abraham 18
Alexander 18
Jesse 17
Andrew 15
Josiah 15
Lewis 14
Matthew 14

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Stone households.

FAQ

Stone surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stone surname in 1881?

In 1881, 21,581 people were recorded with the Stone surname. That placed it at #162 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stone surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 30,271 in 2016. That gives Stone a modern rank of #180.

What does the Stone surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who lived or worked near a prominent rock or who worked as a stonecutter.

What does the Stone map show?

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