Standefer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Standefer came to England with the ancestors of the Standefer family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Standefer family lived at Standish (St.Wilfrid), a parish, in the unions of Wigan and Chorley, hundred of Leyland. "According to Whitaker, the historian of Manchester, Standish, anciently Stanedich, was one of the twelve considerable towns in the south of Lancashire in which the Saxons erected fortified castles for the residence of their chiefs, and the protection of the country. Of the castle of Standish, however, there are no remains, nor can its site even be ascertained. Jordan de Standish is named in connexion with the manor in the 16th of Edward I.; but whether his progenitors gave their name to the parish, or received it from the castle, is by no means evident: it is believed that the family have been settled here from the Conquest, or from a very short period after that event. Standish Hall is a large brick mansion of irregular form, long the seat of the Standish family." 1

The place name literally means "stony pasture or enclosure," from the Old English "stan" + "edisc." 2

Early Origins of the Standefer family

The surname Standefer was first found in Lancashire. However, some believe the family originated in Gloucestershire where they are conjecturally they are descended from Earl Hugh of Standish, who was undertenant of the Archbishop of York. "The Lancashire Standish seems to have been the more fruitful source of the surname. The famous Miles Standish carried it to America - he was a gentlemen born, could trace his pedigree plainly back to Hugh Standish of Duxbury Hall, in Lancashire, England who was the son of Ralph, and the grandson of Thurston de Standish." 3

"The earliest recorded ancestor seems to be Thurstan de Standish, whose name appears in deeds dated 6. Henry II (1139.) This distinguished family continued to flourish on the lands from which they derived their name until the year 1807, when the last male heir died, and the estate passed to his sister's son, a Strickland, who assumed the Standish name." 4

Early feudal rolls provided the king of the time a method of cataloguing holdings for taxation, but today they provide a glimpse into the wide surname spellings in use at that time. Ralph de Standis was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Lancashire in 1206 and 'Herriesservant Standich de Clyfford was listed in Wales in 1377. 5 Baine's Lancashire lists William de Standisch, 1311; and Hugh de Standisch, 1311. 6

Early History of the Standefer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Standefer research. Another 241 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1332, 1392, 1445, 1507, 1535, 1570, 1584, 1605, 1611, 1614, 1615, 1621, 1633, 1656, 1659, 1660, 1662, 1690, 1740, 1790 and 1857 are included under the topic Early Standefer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Standefer Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Standish, Standishe, Standich, Standidge and others.

Early Notables of the Standefer family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Myles Standish (Miles Standish) (c. 1584-1656), an English military officer hired by the Pilgrims as military advisor for Plymouth Colony.Captain Josiah Standish, (c. 1633-1690), son of Captain Myles Standish, participated in King Philip's War and tracked the Wampanoag chief, Metacomet to Mt. Hope, Rhode Island where he was killed.Henry Standish (died 1535), was an English divine, Bishop of St. Asaph, son of Alexander Standish of Standish in that county, who died in 1445, but the dates render the relationship improbable. 7John Standish...
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Standefer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Standefer migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Standefer or a variant listed above:

Standefer Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Walter L. Standefer, who arrived in New York in 1908 aboard the ship "Esperanza" from Cristobal, Canal Zone 8
Ethel Standefer, aged 23, who arrived in New York in 1909 aboard the ship "George Washington" from Cherbourg, France 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Standefer (post 1700) +

Brian Standefer, American composer, known for his work on Endgame (2015), 30 for 30 Shorts (2012) and Independent Lens (1999)
Linda Standefer, American actress, known for Death Valley Days (1952)
Rufus Standefer, American actor, known for his work on Crocodile Dundee (1986), Crocodile Dundee II (1988) and The Price of Air (2000)
Robin Standefer, American co-founder of Roman and Williams Building and Interiors, a New York-based design studio known for its work on hotels, restaurants, retail spaces, homes and product design in 2002
Katherine E. Standefer (b. 1985), American writer of creative nonfiction from Arlington Heights, Illinois, recipient of the 2015 Iowa Review Award in Nonfiction

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result