NameCensus.

UK surname

Stonehouse

A surname referring to a person who lived in or near a stone house.

In the 1881 census there were 1,308 people recorded with the Stonehouse surname, ranking it #3,130 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,793, ranked #3,519, down from #3,130 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Hull Holy Trinity and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redcar and Cleveland, North Warwickshire and Scarborough.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stonehouse is 1,919 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.1%.

1881 census count

1,308

Ranked #3,130

Modern count

1,793

2016, ranked #3,519

Peak year

1999

1,919 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stonehouse had 1,308 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,130 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,793 in 2016, ranked #3,519.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,789 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Stonehouse surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stonehouse surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Stonehouse 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 779 #3,423
1861 historical 892 #3,102
1881 historical 1,308 #3,130
1891 historical 1,457 #3,011
1901 historical 1,617 #3,197
1911 historical 1,789 #2,739
1997 modern 1,859 #3,243
1998 modern 1,906 #3,283
1999 modern 1,919 #3,289
2000 modern 1,904 #3,296
2001 modern 1,856 #3,307
2002 modern 1,875 #3,342
2003 modern 1,850 #3,312
2004 modern 1,851 #3,314
2005 modern 1,828 #3,317
2006 modern 1,821 #3,337
2007 modern 1,803 #3,400
2008 modern 1,828 #3,389
2009 modern 1,851 #3,433
2010 modern 1,883 #3,446
2011 modern 1,840 #3,463
2012 modern 1,806 #3,471
2013 modern 1,822 #3,497
2014 modern 1,805 #3,545
2015 modern 1,805 #3,513
2016 modern 1,793 #3,519

Geography

Back to top

Where Stonehouses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Hull Holy Trinity, Gateshead, Stranton and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redcar and Cleveland, North Warwickshire and Scarborough. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Hull Holy Trinity Yorkshire, East Riding
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Stranton Durham
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redcar and Cleveland 016 Redcar and Cleveland
2 Redcar and Cleveland 013 Redcar and Cleveland
3 Redcar and Cleveland 006 Redcar and Cleveland
4 North Warwickshire 001 North Warwickshire
5 Scarborough 002 Scarborough

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Stonehouse

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Stonehouse

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Stonehouse surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Stonehouse household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Stonehouse is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Stonehouse 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

Stonehouse 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 Stonehouse is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Stonehouse, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Stonehouse

The surname "STONEHOUSE" is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "stān" meaning "stone" and "hūs" meaning "house." It likely emerged as a descriptive name for someone who lived in a house made of stone, which was uncommon during the Middle Ages when most dwellings were constructed from wood or wattle and daub.

The earliest known record of the surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Stenehus" in Yorkshire. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century, though its spellings varied over time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was John de Stenhouse, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland in 1195. The name was also found in other medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appeared as "Stanhus."

The spelling "STONEHOUSE" became more standardized by the 16th century, and several notable individuals bore this surname during the Renaissance period. One example is Sir Walter Stonehouse (c. 1504-1549), who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1548.

During the 17th century, the name was associated with several prominent figures, including Sir James Stonehouse (1610-1668), an English lawyer and politician who served as the Solicitor General for England and Wales. Another notable bearer was Sir Roger Stonehouse (1620-1685), a Scottish merchant and landowner who founded the town of Stonehouse in Lanarkshire, Scotland.

In the 18th century, the name gained further recognition with individuals like Sir John Stonehouse (1713-1795), a British naval officer who served during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War. Meanwhile, in literature, the surname was immortalized by the English poet and playwright James Stonehouse (1716-1795), who wrote several popular comedies and farces.

Other notable individuals with the surname include Sir Evelyn Stonehouse (1848-1920), a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Fiji and Western Pacific High Commissioner, and Sir John Stonehouse (1925-1988), a British politician who famously faked his own death in 1974 before being discovered alive in Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Stonehouse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stonehouse 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. Yorkshire leads with 551 Stonehouses recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.35x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 551 4.35x
Durham 294 7.74x
Lancashire 92 0.61x
Northumberland 82 4.32x
Middlesex 55 0.43x
Warwickshire 44 1.37x
Staffordshire 31 0.72x
Surrey 28 0.45x
Hampshire 22 0.84x
Nottinghamshire 15 0.87x
Angus 14 1.18x
Cheshire 14 0.50x
Leicestershire 10 0.71x
Devon 8 0.30x
Derbyshire 7 0.35x
Sussex 6 0.28x
Cumberland 5 0.45x
Kent 5 0.11x
Lanarkshire 5 0.12x
Monmouthshire 5 0.54x
Herefordshire 3 0.57x
Lincolnshire 3 0.15x
Essex 2 0.08x
Gloucestershire 2 0.08x
Somerset 2 0.10x
Bedfordshire 1 0.15x
Shropshire 1 0.09x
Stirlingshire 1 0.21x
Westmorland 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bishopwearmouth in Durham leads with 35 Stonehouses recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.73x.

Place Total Index
Bishopwearmouth 35 10.73x
Scarborough 35 30.44x
Holy Trinity 30 9.86x
Westoe 25 11.61x
Polesworth 23 150.43x
Greatham 22 683.23x
Stranton 21 16.42x
Salford 20 4.49x
St Pancras London 20 1.95x
Easington In Guisbrough 18 640.57x
Lofthouse 18 95.29x
Whitby 17 39.87x
Leeds 16 2.24x
Monkwearmouth Shore 16 21.58x
Sculcoates 16 7.98x
Sutton Coldfield 16 47.27x
Conisbrough 15 126.37x
Heworth 15 20.04x
Hinderwell 15 138.89x
Nottingham St Mary 15 3.37x
Hartlepool 14 25.93x
Mickleby 14 1891.89x
Darlington 13 8.86x
Hunslet 13 6.59x
Sutton Stoneferry 13 35.91x
Winlaton 13 35.68x
Dawdon 12 25.68x
Gateshead 12 4.22x
Middlesbrough 12 7.28x
Scalby In Scarborough 12 458.02x
Wallsend 12 19.92x
Brotton 11 66.63x
Cottingham 11 40.34x
Kenton 11 404.41x
Redcar 10 99.60x
Bilton Cum Harrogate 9 20.79x
Crondall 9 64.01x
Filey 9 88.06x
Hetton Le Hole 9 18.70x
Lambeth 9 0.81x
Newington 9 25.83x
Shadwell London 9 25.19x
Southwick 9 25.01x
Tatenhill 9 308.22x
Wakefield 9 9.27x
Birkenhead 8 3.56x
Chirton 8 18.60x
Elswick 8 5.28x
Farndale Low Quarter 8 1066.67x
Habergham Eaves 8 5.78x
Hale 8 320.00x
Kensington London 8 1.13x
Long Sutton 8 575.54x
Lythe 8 158.73x
Monifieth 8 19.14x
Nawton 8 522.88x
Newholme Cum Dunsley 8 457.14x
Shevington 8 115.44x
Skelton In Guisbrough 8 23.37x
Snainton 8 235.99x
Upleatham 8 373.83x
Wykeham 8 320.00x
Burniston 7 454.55x
Cockfield 7 132.08x
Helmsley 7 103.24x
Plymouth St Andrew 7 3.42x
Rolleston 7 211.48x
Ruswarp 7 49.75x
Seals 7 140.28x
Stockton On Tees 7 3.82x
Thornaby 7 14.81x
Blackburn 6 1.49x
Egham 6 15.71x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 6 3.65x
Hulme 6 1.90x
Kirby In Cleveland 6 560.75x
Liverpool 6 0.65x
Norton In Malton 6 39.11x
West Newton 6 2500.00x
Westgate 6 5.10x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 115
Elizabeth 54
Jane 41
Margaret 32
Ann 31
Hannah 28
Sarah 27
Annie 19
Alice 16
Emma 16
Ellen 12
Isabella 12
Eleanor 11
Eliza 11
Ada 9
Emily 8
Anne 6
Martha 6
Agnes 5
Amy 5
Kate 5
Louisa 5
Lydia 5
Maria 5
Rebecca 5
Caroline 4
Eliz. 4
Elizth. 4
Fanny 4
Frances 4
Julia 4
Lucy 4
Minnie 4
Clara 3
Edith 3
Florence 3
Amelia 2
Anna 2
Betsey 2
Dorothy 2
Elizebath 2
Harriette 2
Jennet 2
Jessie 2
Katherine 2
Leah 2
Lilian 2
M. 2
Margarett 2
Matilda 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 97
William 80
James 49
George 47
Thomas 40
Robert 34
Charles 27
Joseph 19
Henry 16
Richard 16
Samuel 14
Alfred 8
Arthur 8
Edward 8
Ernest 8
Francis 7
Matthew 7
Andrew 6
Frank 6
Albert 5
David 5
Edwin 5
Thos. 5
Wm. 5
Christopher 4
Harry 4
Walter 4
Abraham 3
Daniel 3
Herbert 3
Nathaniel 3
Tom 3
Adam 2
Crispin 2
Dixon 2
Frederick 2
Isaac 2
Jackson 2
Jas. 2
Johnson 2
Leonard 2
Malcham 2
Mark 2
Marshall 2
Peter 2
Reuben 2
Robt. 2
Stephen 2
W. 2
Y. 1

FAQ

Stonehouse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stonehouse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,308 people were recorded with the Stonehouse surname. That placed it at #3,130 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stonehouse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,793 in 2016. That gives Stonehouse a modern rank of #3,519.

What does the Stonehouse surname mean?

A surname referring to a person who lived in or near a stone house.

What does the Stonehouse map show?

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