Stede History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The earliest origins of the Stede surname date from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name reveals that an early member was a man of mettle, or someone noted for his high spirits. In this case, this surname is derived from the Old English word steda, which means stud-horse or stallion.

Early Origins of the Stede family

The surname Stede was first found in Yorkshire. "This surname is derived from a geographical locality, 'at the stead,' a place, a station, a settlement; compare homestead, market-stead (= market-place). A great Yorkshire surname. The Market-place, Manchester, was the Market-stead till the close of the last century. The Market-stead, Ulverston, is commonly so set down in the parish registers till 1790. " 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 has only one listing of the family: John Stede, Suffolk; while the Yorkshire Polls Tax Rolls of 1379 include: Robertas del Stede; Ricardus del Stede; Petrus del Stede; and Laurence del Stede underlining the importance of the Yorkshire heritage versus any other.

Early History of the Stede family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stede research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1376, 1417, 1581, 1588, 1619, 1701, 1735 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Stede History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stede Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Stede are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Stede include: Stead, Steed and others.

Early Notables of the Stede family

Distinguished members of the family include

John de la Stede

Stede migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Stede or a variant listed above:

Stede Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Margarete Stede, who landed in Texas in 1846 2

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)