NameCensus.

UK surname

Stonier

A topographer's surname referring to one living among or working with stones.

In the 1881 census there were 531 people recorded with the Stonier surname, ranking it #6,470 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 563, ranked #9,114, down from #6,470 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Wolstanton and Astbury. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Staffordshire Moorlands, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Stonier is 660 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.0%.

1881 census count

531

Ranked #6,470

Modern count

563

2016, ranked #9,114

Peak year

1911

660 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Stonier had 531 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,470 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 563 in 2016, ranked #9,114.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 660 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Stonier surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Stonier surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Stonier 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 202 #10,323
1861 historical 192 #12,423
1881 historical 531 #6,470
1891 historical 527 #7,112
1901 historical 620 #6,886
1911 historical 660 #6,361
1997 modern 448 #10,113
1998 modern 624 #8,162
1999 modern 645 #8,007
2000 modern 636 #8,069
2001 modern 622 #8,062
2002 modern 655 #7,896
2003 modern 637 #7,940
2004 modern 631 #8,018
2005 modern 623 #8,038
2006 modern 615 #8,127
2007 modern 619 #8,161
2008 modern 606 #8,343
2009 modern 617 #8,414
2010 modern 629 #8,475
2011 modern 618 #8,490
2012 modern 583 #8,784
2013 modern 592 #8,833
2014 modern 582 #8,997
2015 modern 578 #8,972
2016 modern 563 #9,114

Geography

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Where Stoniers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Wolstanton, Astbury, Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Staffordshire Moorlands, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Wakefield, Stafford and Barnsley. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Wolstanton Staffordshire
3 Astbury Cheshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Stoke-on-Trent, Bucknell-cum-Bagnall, Caverswall Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands
2 Newcastle-under-Lyme 011 Newcastle-under-Lyme
3 Wakefield 041 Wakefield
4 Stafford 002 Stafford
5 Barnsley 008 Barnsley

Forenames

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First names often paired with Stonier

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Stonier

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Stonier is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Stonier 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

Stonier falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Stonier is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Stonier

The surname "STONIER" is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "stan" meaning stone and the occupational suffix "-er" denoting a worker or person associated with that trade. It likely originated in the 12th or 13th century as a descriptive name for someone who worked as a stonecutter, mason, or quarryman.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical records from medieval England. One of the earliest examples is found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199, where a William le Stonere is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, referring to a Robert le Stonere.

In the 14th century, the surname started to appear in various forms such as Stonor, Stonour, and Stoner, reflecting the different regional dialects and spelling variations of the time. One notable individual from this period was John Stonor (c. 1281-1354), a prominent English judge and Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.

The name has been associated with several notable people throughout history, including Sir Walter Stonor (c. 1472-1550), an English landowner and Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. Another notable figure was John Stonore (c. 1443-1516), a Catholic priest and theologian who played a role in the early stages of the English Reformation.

Other notable individuals with the surname include Thomas Stonor (1607-1678), an English Catholic landowner and royalist during the English Civil War, and Sir John Stonor (1716-1795), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire in the 18th century.

The name has also been associated with various places in England, such as Stonor Park in Oxfordshire, which has been the ancestral home of the Stonor family since the 12th century. The village of Stonor in Oxfordshire likely derived its name from the same Old English root, reflecting the historical presence of stoneworkers or quarries in the area.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Stonier families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Stonier 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. Staffordshire leads with 297 Stoniers recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.99x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 297 16.99x
Cheshire 100 8.75x
Lancashire 70 1.14x
Herefordshire 15 7.06x
Middlesex 10 0.19x
Warwickshire 10 0.77x
Yorkshire 6 0.12x
Gloucestershire 5 0.49x
Derbyshire 4 0.49x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.57x
Devon 3 0.28x
Leicestershire 2 0.35x
Northumberland 2 0.26x
Anglesey 1 1.09x
Hampshire 1 0.09x
Worcestershire 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 91 Stoniers recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.08x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 91 49.08x
Newton 26 54.89x
Norton In Moors 25 269.98x
Trentham 23 154.67x
Macclesfield 19 37.39x
Wolstanton 19 35.78x
Burslem 18 35.94x
Manchester 18 6.51x
Caverswall 17 187.02x
Linton In Newent 15 914.63x
Cheadle 13 154.76x
Horton 12 560.75x
Hurdsfield 12 170.45x
Newcastle Under Lyme 12 38.78x
Odd Rode 12 212.01x
Stafford St Mary 11 44.44x
Bradley 9 1022.73x
Cheetham 9 19.63x
Marthall Cum Warford 9 1875.00x
Aston 8 2.22x
Kingston 8 1600.00x
Oldham 8 4.03x
Cranage 7 897.44x
Knutsford Nether 7 101.30x
St Pancras London 7 1.68x
Walsall Foreign 7 7.75x
Wolstanton Chesterton 7 78.30x
Gorton 6 10.38x
Newland 5 58.55x
Ollerton 5 980.39x
Rocester 5 230.41x
Clifton In York 4 37.24x
Madeley 4 91.74x
Newton In Northwich 4 114.94x
Nottingham St Mary 4 2.22x
Somerford 4 2857.14x
Stone 4 17.89x
Haslington 3 93.17x
Hassall 3 545.45x
Newton Abbot St Mary 3 33.19x
Rugeley 3 23.90x
Betchton 2 136.05x
Birmingham 2 0.46x
Congleton 2 10.13x
Eccleshall 2 30.17x
Farley 2 238.10x
Glossop Dale 2 5.27x
Horninglow 2 24.27x
Hulme 2 1.56x
Leek Lowe 2 8.60x
Newbold Astbury 2 147.06x
Norbury 2 281.69x
St George Bloomsbury 2 6.73x
Swinton In Rotherham 2 14.74x
Wheelock 2 141.84x
Aldershot 1 2.81x
Draycott In Moors 1 138.89x
Dudley 1 1.22x
Holyhead 1 5.84x
Kegworth 1 26.18x
Kermincham 1 312.50x
Knighton 1 30.86x
Monks Coppenhall 1 2.32x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 1 9.87x
Pownall Fee 1 19.53x
Reddish 1 11.81x
Sale 1 7.13x
Somerford Booths 1 263.16x
Sutton In Macclesfield 1 8.43x
Tabley Inferior 1 476.19x
Tottenham 1 1.21x
Tynemouth 1 2.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 37
Sarah 24
Elizabeth 19
Ellen 13
Eliza 12
Ann 11
Martha 11
Annie 10
Hannah 10
Alice 7
Emily 6
Emma 5
Louisa 4
Margaret 4
Amy 3
Elizth. 3
Gertrude 3
Harriet 3
Harriett 3
Henrietta 3
Isabella 3
Jane 3
Olive 3
Ada 2
Agnes 2
Amelia 2
Catherine 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Harriott 2
Jessie 2
Lizzie 2
Lois 2
Maria 2
Matilda 2
Rosannah 2
Rose 2
Adelaide 1
Audry 1
Bertha 1
C.B. 1
Emelia 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Evalina 1
Keziah 1
Levinna 1
Theresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 39
Thomas 30
William 29
George 20
James 18
Joseph 13
Alfred 11
Samuel 10
Frederick 7
Richard 6
Charles 5
Henry 5
Arthur 4
Edward 4
Levi 4
Edwin 3
Enoch 3
Ernest 3
Walter 3
Wm. 3
Albert 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Geo. 2
Horatio 2
Peter 2
Stephen 2
...athem 1
Adam 1
Alexander 1
Chas.J.E. 1
Edmund 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.Walter 1
Gerald 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Jas. 1
Jonas 1
Josiah 1
Lewis 1
Oliver 1
Oswald 1
Richd. 1
Robert 1
Rowland 1
Sarah 1
Theopilus 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Stonier surname: questions and answers

How common was the Stonier surname in 1881?

In 1881, 531 people were recorded with the Stonier surname. That placed it at #6,470 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Stonier surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 563 in 2016. That gives Stonier a modern rank of #9,114.

What does the Stonier surname mean?

A topographer's surname referring to one living among or working with stones.

What does the Stonier map show?

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