Stavely History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Stavely has a long Anglo-Saxon heritage. The name comes from when a family lived in one of the various places called Staveley in the counties of Derbyshire, Lancashire, and Westmorland, and in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The surname Stavely belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Stavely family

The surname Stavely was first found in Derbyshire at Staveley, a town within the borough of Chesterfield which literally means "wood or clearing where staves are got" from the Old English "staef" + "leah." 1 The town was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Stavelie. 2

Staveley is also a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire and this village also dates back to the Domesday Book where it is listed as Stanlei. These are the oldest references to the place name but there are others scattered throughout England.

Some of the family held a family seat at Stalybridge in Cheshire. "The name of Staly, originally Staveleigh, is derived from an ancient family who, in the reign of Edward III., occupied Stayley Hall, a portion of which mansion still remains; the addition arises from a bridge over the Tame, that connects the two counties, and which has been rebuilt." 3

Early History of the Stavely family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stavely research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1498, 1613, 1626 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Stavely History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stavely Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Stavely have been found, including Staveley, Stavely, Staley, Stayley, Staveleigh and many more.

Early Notables of the Stavely family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Thomas Staveley, High Sheriff of Leicestershire in 1613; and Thomas Staveley (born 1626), antiquary and church historian of East Langton Leicestershire.William Stayley or Staley (died 1678), was a victim of the 'Popish Plot,' was the son of William Staley, and carried on his father's business as goldsmith and banker in Covent Garden. In September 1678, he was accused of high treason, but was offered to suppress the charge in consideration of the sum of 200 shillings. "The banker laughed at the insolence of the...
Another 92 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stavely Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Stavely family to Ireland

Some of the Stavely family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stavely migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Stavely, or a variant listed above:

Stavely Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Stavely, who landed in Maryland in 1671 4
Nicholas Stavely, who arrived in Maryland in 1671 4

Stavely Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Andrew Stavely, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 4
Edward Stavely, who settled in New Castle Del. in 1839

Stavely migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Stavely Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John, Richard and Robert Stavely, who settled in Nova Scotia in 1774
Richard Stavely, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1774
Robert Stavely, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1774

The Stavely Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fidelis ad urnam
Motto Translation: Faithful to the tomb.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)