STAINES
Staines is a surname of English origin which first appears in documentary records in the early Middle Ages. Its etymology traces back to the Old English word stan, meaning stone. As such, the name is fundamentally a locational surname and, in many cases, denoted an individual who lived near a stone landmark or who was engaged in stone masonry or quarrying.
Evidence of the name as a place‑based surname is found in the recorded history of Staines, a market town in Middlesex. The settlement is mentioned as Stane in the Anglo‑Saxon Chronicles of 1009 and as Stanes in the Domesday Book of 1086. The placename itself derives from the Old English pre‑7th century root stan, and it is believed that the name referred to a milestone or stone marker on the Roman road that passed through the town. The evolution of the spelling to Staines is attributed to Norman linguistic influence.
An alternate derivation, also recorded in the early sources, suggests a Scandinavian origin. The name may be a survival of an Old Norse topographical term for “a dweller at the stone” or of the Old Norse personal name Steinis, both from the root steinn, stone. Contemporary variants arising from both derivations include Staynes, Stains, and Stanes.
The surname is documented in several medieval legal and ecclesiastical records. The Book of Fees of Kent, dated to about 1216, contains an entry for William de Staines, while a later record from the Feet of Fees of Norfolk in 1328 names William de Stanes as rector of Welborne. In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries Sir Thomas Staines (1776–1830) served as a Royal Navy captain on the Foudroyant under Nelson and is noted for his voyage to Pitcairn Island in 1813, during which he transmitted an account of the colony to England. A coat of arms bearing a silver shield with two black bars has been officially granted to a branch of the Staines family.
In modern times the surname remains predominantly British. Census figures show that almost two thousand individuals in the United Kingdom bear the name, with concentrations in London, Birmingham and Manchester. The name is also recorded in smaller numbers in Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, and has appeared in emigrant records in North America, particularly Canada and the United States. The spectrum of spelling variants—such as Stain, Staine, Stayne, Steain, Stean, and Steane—reflects linguistic shifts over time, but all retain the core reference to stone or stone‑related activity.
Typical given names associated with the Staines surname
Male
- Andrew
- Barry
- Christopher
- David
- Gary
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Amanda
- Barbara
- Claire
- Joan
- Karen
- Linda
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Siddons
- Staes
- Stagni
- Stahn
- Stahnke
- Stain
- Staine
- Stainer
- Stainow
- Stains
- Stames
- Stamnes
- Stan
- Stance
- Stands
- Stane
- Stanek
- Stanes
- Staness
- Stanex
- Staney
- Stanez
- Stange
- Staniec
- Staniek
- Stanios
- Stanis
- Stanisz
- Stanius
- Stanke
- Stanks
- Stann
- Stannas
- Stannes
- Stanness
- Stanney
- Stannis
- Stannus
- Stanosz
- Stans
- Stante
- Stanys
- Stayne
- Staynes
- Steains
- Stean
- Steane
- Steanes
- Steans
- Steene
- Stein
- Steine
- Steines
- Steiness
- Steinke
- Steinne
- Steinnes
- Steins
- Stene
- Stenz
- Steyne
- Steyns
- Stiene
- Stienne
- Stines
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Staines in...
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There are approximately 3,095 people named Staines in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,911th most common surname in Britain. Around 48 in a million people in Britain are named Staines.
Famous people named Staines
- Paul Staines - Political blogger and former pro gamer
- Gary Staines - Long distance runner
- Linda Staines - Sprint athlete
- Alfred Staines - Cricketer (1838 to 1910)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.