Show ContentsStandon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Standon surname lived in the county of Nottinghamshire in an area that was referred to as stanton, which means stony ground. 1

Standon is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. During the Middle Ages, as society became more complex, individuals needed a way to be distinguishable from others. Toponymic surnames were developed as a result of this need. Various features in the landscape or area were used to distinguish people from one another. In this case the original bearers of the surname Standon were named due to their close proximity to the stanton.

Early Origins of the Standon family

The surname Standon was first found in Nottinghamshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, as Lords of the manor of Staunton. The first Lord was Sir Brian Staunton who was Lord of Staunton during the time of Edward the Confessor in 1047. 2 The family of Staunton of Staunton, in the first-named shire, "can be regularly traced from the time of the Conqueror, and there is no doubt of their having been settled in Nottinghamshire. in the time of Edward the Confessor." 2 "An ancient house, traced to the Conquest" 3

Great East Standen Manor is a manor house on the Isle of Wight that dates to the Norman Conquest; and was once the residence of Princess Cicely (1469-1507). Nearby is Standen House, an English country house but this edifice is more recent and dates back to the 18th century.

Gloucestershire is home to another village named Staunton and this village is almost as old as the former with the first listing found in 972 as Stanton 1 and then later the Domesday Book, 4 mentions a castle there belonging to Roger de Stanton, the foundations of which were cleared away a few years before. 5

Stanton in Northumberland was home to another branch of the family which has fallen. "The ancient manor-house, the seat of the last-named family, has been converted into a house for the reception of the poor; and a chapel which stood a little to the north of it, has altogether disappeared." 5

Hervey de Staunton (died 1327), was an English judge, son of Sir William de Staunton of Staunton, Nottinghamshire. "He seems to have held the living of Soham, Norfolk, as early as 1289: afterwards he held the livings of Thurston and Werbeton, and about 1306, on being ordained priest, received the living of East Derham. In November 1300 there is mention of him as going to the court of Rome. He was a justice itinerant in Cornwall in 1302 and in Durham in 1303." 6

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Alice de Staunton, Lincolnshire; Nicholas de Staunton, Essex; and William de Staunton, Oxfordshire. 7

Early History of the Standon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Standon research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1616, 1636, 1639, 1671, 1677, 1681, 1705, 1734, 1785 and 1859 are included under the topic Early Standon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Standon 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 Standon 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 Standon include: Stanton, Staunton and others.

Early Notables of the Standon family

Distinguished members of the family include Edmund Staunton (Stanton) (1600-1671), an English clergyman, chosen by Parliament as President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford; Thomas Stanton (1616?-1677), English-born, settler to America c. 1636, a trader and...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Standon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Standon family to Ireland

Some of the Standon family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 77 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Standon 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 Standon or a variant listed above:

Standon Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Dennis Standon, who landed in Virginia in 1701-1702 8

Australia Standon migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Standon Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Henry Standon, English convict from Sussex, who was transported aboard the "Andromeda" on November 13, 1832, settling in New South Wales, Australia 9
  • Daniel Standon, aged 24, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Anglia" 10


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  4. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  5. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  6. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  7. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  8. 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)
  9. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Andromeda voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1832 with 186 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1832
  10. South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ANGLIA 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/anglia1852.shtml


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