Show ContentsStephenson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Stephenson Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Stephenson

What does the name Stephenson mean?

The Dalriadan clans of ancient Scotland spawned the ancestors of the Stephenson family. Their name comes from Steven, and means son of Steven, a variant of Stephen, which meant crown or garland. 1 This personal name was popular throughout Christian Europe during the Middle Ages, mostly due to St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. The name was Gaelicized as Mac Stiofáin.

Early Origins of the Stephenson family

The surname Stephenson was first found in Northumberland, where they were established since the early Middle Ages at Knaresdale Hall, and at Newcastle on Tyne. By 1150, they had moved north to Scotland in the parish of Newlands in Peebles (now part of the Strathclyde and Border regions), where Stevene Stevenson swore an oath of allegiance (recorded on the Ragman Rolls) to King Edward I of England during the latter's brief conquest of Scotland in 1296. Another early Scottish record of this surname dates back to 1372, when one Nichol fiz ('son of') Steven, chaplain of Scotland, was given a license to take shipping at London or Dovorre. 2

The name is "confined for the most part to the northern half of England, being especially frequent in county Durham, and afterwards in the North and East Ridings and Northumberland. It is also well established in Lincolnshire, and has made a substantial advance into the midlands as far as Warwickshire. Strangely enough it has an independent home in Sussex and Berks, where Stevens is also common. Generally speaking, however, it is absent or rare in the southern part of England, where its place is supplied by Stephens and Stevens. The Stevensons extend in force across the Scottish border, but do not usually reach beyond the Forth and the Clyde." 3

Early History of the Stephenson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stephenson research. Another 209 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1388, 1454, 1455, 1477, 1479, 1505, 1548, 1580, 1594, 1781, 1848 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Stephenson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stephenson Spelling Variations

The medieval practice of spelling according to sound and repeated translation between Gaelic and English created many spelling variations of the same name. Stephenson has been recorded as Stevenson, Stephenson, Stephinson, Stevenston, Steenson, Stenson, Steinson, Stinson, Stephenton, Stynson, Stevensint, Stevensynd, Stevensent, Stympson, Stevensend, Stevensant, Steanson, Stevensyn, Stephenston, Stephensyn, Stevinson, Stevensan, Stevensind, Stevensane, Stimpson and many more.

Early Notables of the Stephenson family

  • George Stephenson (1781-1848), English engineer, principal inventor of the locomotive

Stephenson World Ranking

the United States, the name Stephenson is the 643rd most popular surname with an estimated 44,766 people with that name. 4 However, in Canada, the name Stephenson is ranked the 687th most popular surname with an estimated 7,604 people with that name. 5 And in Australia, the name Stephenson is the 316th popular surname with an estimated 11,160 people with that name. 6 New Zealand ranks Stephenson as 419th with 1,579 people. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Stephenson as 253rd with 23,619 people. 8

Migration of the Stephenson family to Ireland

Some of the Stephenson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stephenson migration to the United States +

Descendents of Dalriadan-Scottish families still populate many communities across North America. They are particularly common in Canada, since many went north as United Empire Loyalists at the time of the American War of Independence. Much later, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the highland games and Clan societies that now dot North America sprang up, allowing many Scots to recover their lost national heritage. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Stephenson, or a variant listed above:

Stephenson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Ann Stephenson, who arrived in Virginia in 1636 10
  • Christian and Anne Stephenson, who settled in Virginia in 1637
  • John Stephenson, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1645 10
  • Christopher Stephenson, who arrived in Maryland in 1654 10
  • Frances Stephenson, who landed in Maryland in 1654 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Stephenson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Daniel Stephenson, who landed in America in 1764 10
  • Nancy Stephenson, who arrived in South Carolina in 1772 10
  • Thomas Stephenson, who settled in Maryland in 1774
  • Stephen Stephenson, who landed in Mississippi in 1798 10
Stephenson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Charles Stephenson, aged 29, who landed in New Castle or Philadelphia in 1804 10
  • Margaret Stephenson, aged 22, who arrived in New Castle or Philadelphia in 1804 10
  • Henry Stephenson, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 10
  • Hugh Stephenson, who landed in New York in 1812 10
  • Isaac Stephenson, who landed in New York in 1812 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stephenson migration to Canada +

Stephenson Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Joseph Stephenson who settled in Argentia, in Newfoundland, in 1730 11
  • Capt. Francis Stephenson U.E. who settled in Home District [Niagara], Ontario c. 1786 he served in the Queens Rangers 12
Stephenson Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Joseph Stephenson, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland
  • Sarah Stephenson, aged 15, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Ambassador" in 1834
  • Diana Stephenson, aged 18, who arrived in Quebec in 1834
  • Ebenezer W Stephenson, who landed in Canada in 1836
Stephenson Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • W Stephenson, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907

Stephenson migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet and Second Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet
  • Mr. Thomas Stephenson, British settler convicted at Lincolnshire, England in 1787, sentenced to 7 years for stealing sheep, transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 9
Second Fleet
  • Miss Jane Stephenson, British settler convicted in Northumberland, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for pick pocketing, transported aboard the ship "Mary Ann" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 10
  • Mr. John Stephenson, (1769 - 1846), aged 21, British settler convicted in Durham, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Albermarle" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 10
Following the First and Second Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Stephenson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Stephenson, English convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Duke of Portland" in January 1807, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
  • Mr. William Stephenson, British Convict who was convicted in Durham, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 11th August 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
  • Mr. John Stephenson, British soldier who was convicted in India, transported aboard the "Cawdry" in 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
  • Mr. James Stephenson(b. 1804), aged 22, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 3rd July 1826, sentenced for 14 years for larceny, transported aboard the ship "Midas" on 16th October 1826 to New South Wales, Australia 16
  • Mr. John Stephenson, English convict who was convicted in Durham, England for life, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 14th August 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 17
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stephenson migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Stephenson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • S Stephenson, who landed in Bay of Islands, New Zealand in 1834 aboard the ship Fortitude
  • Timothy Stephenson, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • William Stephenson, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1844
  • D Stephenson, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Norman Morrison" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand, Via Wellington and Lyttleton in 1854 18
  • Mrs.Stephenson, Australian settler travelling from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia aboard the ship "Bonnie Doon" arriving in New Zealand in 1854 18
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Stephenson (post 1700) +

  • Riggs Stephenson (1898-1985), born Jackson Riggs Stephenson, American MLB left fielder, nicknamed Old Hoss
  • Robert Lloyd "Bob" Stephenson (1928-2020), American MLB player for the St. Louis Cardinals (1955)
  • John Winfield Stephenson (1923-2015), American actor, most active in voice-over roles, best known for his work on The Hobbit (1977), Charlotte's Web (1973) and The Flintstones (1960)
  • Samuel M. Stephenson (1803-1859), U.S. politician from Michigan
  • Neal Town Stephenson (b. 1959), American Hugo Award winning writer known primarily for his science fiction works
  • Jean Stephenson, award-winning California artist and teacher 19
  • Earl Stephenson (b. 1947), American former Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Benjamin Stephenson (b. 1822), American politician, Delegate to Illinois State Constitutional Convention from Madison County, 1818
  • Barbara Stephenson, American politician, U.S. Consul General in Belfast, 2001-04
  • ... (Another 78 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
HMAS Sydney II
  • Mr. Walter Thomas William Stephenson (1920-1941), Australian Stoker from Bagdad, Tasmania, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 20
  • Mr. R Stephenson, British Ship Write, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 21
  • John George Stephenson (1918-1939), British Able Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 22
  • Mrs. Martha Stephenson, (née Eustis), aged 52, French First Class passenger from Paris, France who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking escaping in life boat 4 23
  • Mr. Isaac Stephenson (1812-1859), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Royal Charter" when she sunk in a storm off the coast of Anglesey, Wales in 1859
  • ... (Another 3 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Stephenson 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: Coelum non solum
Motto Translation: Heaven not earth
  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  3. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  6. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  7. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  8. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  9. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
  10. 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)
  11. Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
  12. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duke-of-portland
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  15. Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 13th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cawdry
  16. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
  17. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
  18. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  19. Jean Stephenson. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Jean Stephenson. Retrieved from http://jeanstephenson.com/
  20. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
  21. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
  22. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
  23. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html

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