Surname Staveley - Meaning and Origin

Staveley: What does the surname Staveley mean?

The surname Staveley is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is a locational name from either Staveley in Derbyshire or Staveley in Yorkshire. The name comes from the Old English words "stæf", meaning boundary marker or pole, and "leah", meaning wood, clearing, or pasture, suggesting a cleared space marked out by poles. Hence, it could be interpreted as 'the wooded clearing marked by posts'. This name emerged during the early medieval period when people started adopting hereditary last names, often based on their place of residence or birth. Families possessing this surname may have had ancestors who lived in or stemmed from these areas. Variations of the surname Staveley include Staveleigh, Stavelegh, Stavely, and others.

Staveley: Where does the name Staveley come from?

The last name Staveley is most commonly found in the United Kingdom today, particularly in the northern parts of England, specifically in counties such as Lancashire, Northumberland, Cumberland, and Westmorland. Originally, the name likely derived from the Old English words staef and leah, describing a boundary of wood and clearing, respectively.

The last name Staveley can be traced back in records to the 14th century when Elizabeth de Stavenleia was mentioned in the Yorkshire Fine Rolls of 1296. Later on, documents indicate that the name has been found in places as diverse as Morpeth, Scotland, and Martinby, Westmorland. During the 19th century, members of the Staveley family were prominent landowners in Lancashire.

Meanwhile, many families of the name Staveley still inhabit the northern counties of England, residing in places such as Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Shropshire today. Scottish records indicate that the last name Staveley was also popular around the Lanarkshire area in the 1800s. In more recent times, however, the surname is less commonly found in Scotland and is a much rarer name in the United States and other countries.

Despite this trend, generations of Staveley families still remain firm fixtures of the British Isles. Records of the name are archived in prominent genealogy databases, and many descendants of the original Staveley families have continued to honour and cherish the name.

Variations of the surname Staveley

The surname Staveley has many variants including Stavely, Stavelie, Stavelee, Staveleigh, Stavelegh, Standley, and Stanly. It may also be spelled as Stavely, Stavele, Stavelee, Staveleigh, Stavelegh and Stavelie.

Staveley is an English surname, and likely means ‘At the Stavely’. It is thought to originate from a village called Staveley, located in the East Midlands of England. The village dates back to at least 1086, and takes its name from the Old English word ‘stave’ meaning ‘stony ground’.

Thus, many surnames with the same origin get their name from locations around Staveley or have been derived from the original Staveley surname. For example, Staveland and Staverland are very similar surnames.

Additionally, there are some Irish surnames with a similar meaning to Staveley. Standley and Stanly are versions of the name which originated in Ireland. The Irish version of this surname likely means ‘Highland’, and was likely derived from the Irish surname ‘O’Stanley’.

Finally, there are some surnames that are similar to Staveley but are derived from non-English-speaking countries. For example, the German name Stauffeler is pronounced the same, and is derived from the word ‘stawe’ which means ‘candle’ or ‘torch’. Similarly, the Dutch family name Stafel is derived from the word ‘stapel’, which translates to ‘pile’.

In conclusion, the surname Staveley has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. The majority of these have derived from the English village of Staveley, but there are some that were derived from other countries as well.

Famous people with the name Staveley

• Amanda Staveley: British businesswoman, entrepreneur, owner of PCP Capital Partners, the UK’s largest single investor in sports and entertainment.
• Ibrahima Traoré: Guinean professional footballer who plays for German club Borussia Mönchengladbach and the Guinea national team.
• Bill Staveley: former professional American football player who played as a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos.
• Tom Staveley-Fry: British journalist, editor and broadcaster based in Yorkshire.
• Sam Staveley-Taylor: singer-songwriter and member of the band The Staves.
• Christopher Staveley-Taylor: English singer-songwriter, record producer and member of the band The Staves.
• Emily Staveley-Taylor: British singer-songwriter and member of the band The Staves.
• Alison Staveley: British businesswoman, founder of Lunar Capital, a venture capital firm based in London.
• Thomas Staveley: English playwright, poet, actor, director and producer who helped found the Royal Shakespeare Company.
• Chris Staveley: English landscape architect and author who designed numerous public spaces in London.

Other surnames

StavellyStavely