NameCensus.

UK surname

Stoney

From a stony or rocky place or location.

In the 1881 census there were 423 people recorded with the Stoney surname, ranking it #7,657 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 540, ranked #9,422, down from #7,657 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Skipton, London parishes and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Harrogate, Wyre and South Lakeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stoney is 695 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.7%.

1881 census count

423

Ranked #7,657

Modern count

540

2016, ranked #9,422

Peak year

1911

695 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stoney had 423 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,657 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 540 in 2016, ranked #9,422.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 695 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Stoney surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stoney surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stoney 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 337 #6,953
1861 historical 668 #4,013
1881 historical 423 #7,657
1891 historical 655 #5,925
1901 historical 512 #7,918
1911 historical 695 #6,115
1997 modern 548 #8,679
1998 modern 542 #9,028
1999 modern 553 #8,945
2000 modern 552 #8,917
2001 modern 540 #8,919
2002 modern 553 #8,949
2003 modern 551 #8,831
2004 modern 544 #8,933
2005 modern 534 #8,997
2006 modern 536 #8,994
2007 modern 537 #9,057
2008 modern 530 #9,219
2009 modern 548 #9,201
2010 modern 557 #9,270
2011 modern 553 #9,228
2012 modern 548 #9,194
2013 modern 552 #9,308
2014 modern 555 #9,316
2015 modern 547 #9,353
2016 modern 540 #9,422

Geography

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Where Stoneys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Skipton, London parishes, Bradford, Keighley and Huddersfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Harrogate, Wyre, South Lakeland, Southwark and Kirklees. 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 Skipton Yorkshire, West Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Keighley Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Huddersfield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Harrogate 006 Harrogate
2 Wyre 001 Wyre
3 South Lakeland 012 South Lakeland
4 Southwark 033 Southwark
5 Kirklees 059 Kirklees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stoney

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stoney

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Stoney 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

Stoney is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Stoney 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 Stoney 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 Stoney, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Stoney

The surname Stoney is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is derived from the Old English word 'stan', meaning stone. It is believed to have been originally used as a topographic name for someone who lived near a prominent stone or rocky area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Stoney can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'de Stane'. This entry refers to a landowner named Roger de Stane, who held estates in Leicestershire.

In the 12th century, the name was also recorded as 'Stani', as seen in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199, which mention a William Stani. This spelling variant suggests a connection to a place name containing the word 'stone'.

By the 13th century, the surname had evolved into its more modern form, 'Stoney'. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 record a Robert Stoney in Oxfordshire, while the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301 mention a William Stoney.

One notable bearer of the Stoney surname was Sir George Stoney (1719-1800), an Irish mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the study of optics and light. He was a member of the Royal Irish Academy and served as its president from 1793 to 1798.

Another prominent figure was George Johnstone Stoney (1826-1911), an Irish physicist and mathematician who is best known for introducing the term 'electron' in 1891 to describe the fundamental unit of electrical charge.

In the literary world, Ralph Stoney (1771-1853) was an Irish poet and playwright who wrote several works in the early 19th century, including the play 'The Fortune Hunter' and the poem 'The Voyage of St. Brendan'.

Historically, the Stoney surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Stoney Middleton in Derbyshire, which is mentioned in records dating back to the 13th century.

Lastly, Sir Bindon Blood Stoney (1828-1909) was a British civil engineer who played a crucial role in the development of Ireland's railway system, overseeing the construction of several major lines and serving as the Chief Engineer of Irish Railways.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stoney families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stoney 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 227 Stoneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.53x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 227 5.53x
Lancashire 54 1.10x
Warwickshire 38 3.63x
Surrey 31 1.53x
Middlesex 26 0.63x
Durham 12 0.97x
Kent 8 0.57x
Cumberland 6 1.68x
Gloucestershire 5 0.61x
Leicestershire 3 0.65x
Staffordshire 3 0.21x
Lincolnshire 2 0.30x
Somerset 2 0.30x
Argyllshire 1 0.87x
Ayrshire 1 0.32x
Cheshire 1 0.11x
Hampshire 1 0.12x
Lanarkshire 1 0.07x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.18x
Royal Navy 1 2.02x
Sussex 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bewerley in Yorkshire leads with 43 Stoneys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2544.38x.

Place Total Index
Bewerley 43 2544.38x
Haworth 27 276.64x
Huddersfield 23 38.43x
Hunslet 20 31.22x
Manningham 20 39.52x
Allesley 13 942.03x
Camberwell 11 4.15x
Elland Cum Greetland 11 59.43x
Rochdale 9 250.70x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 9.59x
Thornton In Bradford 8 58.48x
Keighley 7 15.99x
Manchester 7 3.16x
Almondbury 6 30.21x
Lockwood 6 40.60x
Millom 6 54.84x
Skipton 6 46.40x
Tanfield 6 40.90x
Charlton Next Woolwich 5 33.90x
Chelsea London 5 4.00x
Hackney London 5 2.15x
Hetton 5 3571.43x
Hulme 5 4.87x
Lytham 5 66.58x
Newington 5 3.26x
Ribby With Wray 5 877.19x
Stoneleigh 5 287.36x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 5 35.31x
Aston 4 1.39x
Cheltenham 4 6.38x
Corley 4 930.23x
Cracoe 4 2222.22x
Holbeck 4 14.70x
Leamington 4 57.72x
Rastrick 4 35.06x
St Pancras London 4 1.20x
Wortley In Bramley 4 12.29x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 2.79x
Astley 3 79.16x
Baildon 3 38.76x
Cheetham 3 8.18x
High Low Bishopside 3 82.42x
Kensington London 3 1.30x
Lambeth 3 0.83x
Leeds 3 1.29x
Leicester St Margaret 3 2.68x
Penge 3 11.33x
Shipley 3 14.07x
St George Hanover 3 5.54x
Walsall Borough 3 27.62x
Bathwick 2 27.10x
Bishopwearmouth 2 1.89x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 2.56x
Coventry St Michael 2 5.96x
Darlington 2 4.20x
Deptford St Paul 2 1.83x
Doncaster 2 6.66x
Gateshead 2 2.17x
Headingley Cum Burley 2 7.56x
Horton In Bradford 2 3.12x
Litherland 2 19.44x
Paddington London 2 1.31x
Radford Semele 2 253.16x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 2 21.46x
Withington 2 12.62x
Bingley 1 3.82x
Castleton 1 2.04x
Cheadle 1 5.72x
Colne 1 6.82x
Edmonton 1 2.99x
Eltham 1 12.06x
Islington London 1 0.25x
Kenilworth 1 16.98x
Lismore Appin 1 26.04x
North Bierley 1 4.51x
Petworth 1 23.98x
Royal Navy 1 2.37x
Rugby 1 7.07x
Sawley In Ripon 1 188.68x
West Drayton 1 69.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Sarah 16
Ann 14
Elizabeth 11
Hannah 10
Jane 10
Eliza 9
Emma 9
Alice 8
Annie 6
Martha 6
Ellen 5
Ada 4
Clara 4
Emily 4
Agnes 3
Catherine 3
Fanny 3
Grace 3
Margaret 3
Maria 3
Amy 2
Betty 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Susan 2
Caroline 1
Christiana 1
Crissy 1
Dorothy 1
Easter 1
Edith 1
Elizbeth 1
Elizth. 1
Emmeline 1
Frances 1
Hilda 1
Isabella 1
Janet 1
Kate 1
Kathleen 1
Lavinia 1
Lillian 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Madeline 1
Margret 1
Marion 1
Susey 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 36
William 23
Thomas 20
George 17
Joseph 13
James 10
Francis 4
Harry 4
Albert 3
Charles 3
Christopher 3
Edward 3
Ralph 3
Robert 3
Samuel 3
Arthur 2
Aykroyd 2
Cornelius 2
Edmund 2
Frank 2
Henry 2
Herbert 2
Joshua 2
Law 2
Mark 2
Richard 2
Willie 2
Wm. 2
Alfred 1
Archibald 1
Charlie 1
Crhristopher 1
Edway 1
Edwin 1
Elijah 1
Elkin 1
Ernest 1
Franc 1
Fred 1
G.H. 1
Geo.Edw. 1
Hugh 1
Humphrey 1
Isaac 1
Levi 1
Marshall 1
Michael 1
Miles 1
Percy 1
Wm.C. 1

FAQ

Stoney surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stoney surname in 1881?

In 1881, 423 people were recorded with the Stoney surname. That placed it at #7,657 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stoney surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 540 in 2016. That gives Stoney a modern rank of #9,422.

What does the Stoney surname mean?

From a stony or rocky place or location.

What does the Stoney map show?

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