Surname Stavley - Meaning and Origin
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Stavley: What does the surname Stavley mean?
Stavley is an English surname that dates back to the pre-7th century. It is a locational name derived from a place called Staveley, found in the counties of Derbyshire, Cumbria, and North Yorkshire in England. The primary meaning of Staveley is "woodland clearing with staves", derived from the Old English words "stæf," meaning “stave” or "powerful tree trunk", and "leah," which denotes a “clearing”, “pasture”, or “meadow”. Thus, Stavley could mean one 'from the woodland clearing'. Names of this nature were typically given to the lord of the manor or landowner, and later, to those who left their original homes and moved to a new place, as a means of identification. Given the historical importance and availability of wood resources, the name may also be associated with past occupations dealing with wood or forestry. Surnames became necessary in medieval England when governments introduced the idea of personal taxation, which is generally recognized to be the same as the modern poll tax. Like many old family names, there could be variations in spelling such as Staveley, Staves, Stavely, and others.
Order DNA origin analysisStavley: Where does the name Stavley come from?
The last name Stavley is most commonly found in the United States and England today. In the United States, the most prominent region where people with the name Stavley live is in California, specifically San Diego and Orange Counties. It is also common in cities such as Chicago, Dallas, and Austin.
In England, the last name Stavley is quite popular, especially in the London area. Other cities that feature high numbers of people with the last name Stavley include Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester. Additionally, there are significant numbers of people with the last name Stavley in European countries such as France, Germany, and Canada.
In terms of frequency, Stavley is the 880th common surname in the United States. In the United Kingdom, Stavley is the 1523rd most common last name. Overall, the surname Stavley appears to be relatively uncommon, especially outside of the US and the UK.
Variations of the surname Stavley
The surname Staveley is derived from the Old Norse words "stafr" and "lehi", meaning a stave-ladder. In Old English, the name is recorded in various forms such as Stanlei, Stavelee, Staveley, Staffeley, and Stavely.
The variants of Staveley include Stavely, Stafford, Staveler, Stephenson, Staffel, Stefley, Stevens, and Staves.
The spelling variations of Staveley include: Stavley, Staveli, Stavly, Stavela, Stavell, Stavelle, Stavlee, Stavelli, Stavaley, Stavel, Stafley, Stafly, Staflee, Stafla, Stavelli, Stavala, Staval, and Stavello.
Common surnames that are derived from Staveley include Staffel, Staffelbach, Staffell, Staveley, Stiff, and Stiffel.
Due to the range of spelling variations of the surname, it is likely that different descendants of the same family can have different spellings of the surname, making it difficult to determine a definitive spelling. This is an important aspect to consider when researching the family history of the Staveley name.
Famous people with the name Stavley
- Jan Stavley: Country music artist and songwriter.
- Ellen Stavley: Actress and singer.
- Megan Stavley: Former professional tennis player.
- Fred Stavley: Multiple Emmy award winning broadcast meteorologist.
- Paul Stavley: Professional golfer.
- Mark Stavley: American actor and producer.
- Steve Stavley: Former professional basketball player.
- Laura Stavley: Broadcast anchor and producer.
- Brad Stavley: Professional race car driver.
- David Stavley: Canadian geophysicist and professor.
- Rowan Stavley: Contemporary artist.
- Karen Stavley: Television and film actress.
- Clara Stavley: American operatic soprano.
- Cat Stavley: Award-winning entrepreneur.
- Bill Stavley: American football player.
- Tommy Stavley: Country music artist and singer.
- John Stavley: British sculptor.
- Michael Stavley: Singer, songwriter and musician.
- Peter Stavley: Investigative journalist.
- Sherry Stavley: Award-winning poet and novelist.