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Stout History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Stout History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
England
Scotland

The history of the Stout family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in one of the many English places called Stow. However, in Worcestershire, the Old English word stow, which means place, or more specifically, holy place, was retained as part of the common vocabulary of Old English. 1

Experts theorize that in this county, the surname Stout alludes to residence by a monastery or church. Thus, the surname Stout belongs to both the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads, and the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees.

Early Origins of the Stout family

The surname Stout was first found in Cambridgeshire. Although the name has long existed as both a place and personal name in various counties, including Cambridgeshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Shropshire, and Suffolk.

Stow Fair was a medieval fair inaugurated in 1233 and held on the 23rd of June each year at a place now called Stow Green Hill in Lincolnshire. The fair continued through the centuries until 1954. Stowe or Stow is also a small village and civil parish in Shropshire, England.

One branch of the family was found at Bedingham in Norfolk. "The church [of Bedingham] consists of a nave, chancel, and aisles, with a chapel at the east end of each aisle, and a circular tower the upper part of which is octagonal; the font is curiously sculptured, and in the chancel are some handsome monuments to the Stow family." 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had the following early entries: Baldwin de Stow, Cambridgeshire; Warin de Stowe, Cambridgeshire; Fulk de Stow, Lincolnshire; and Oda de Stow, Lincolnshire. Over 100 years later, Ricardus de Stowe was listed in the Yorkshires Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 3

Cheshire was an early family seat of the family and it is here that records predate the Cambridgeshire entries. The Saxon Wlnobus de Sloue was listed here c. 975 and the Pipe Rolls of 1190 list Osbert de Stowa. 4

Farther to the north in Scotland, "there is a parish of this name in Midlothian. Johan de Stowe, persone of the church of Gleinkerny in the Meirnes, rendered homage [to King Edward I of England in] 1296. Adam Stowe was one of an inquest in Dundee, 1321. " 5

Interestingly, Stow is a parish, in the union of Gainsborough, wapentake of Well, parts of Lindsey in Lincolnshire. "This place is generally supposed to have been the Sidnacester of the Romans, and the seat of a Saxon bishopric from about 678 to 959. The ancient Watlingstreet passes near. A nunnery was founded by Godiva, wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, who also, with her husband, greatly augmented the revenue of Stow church, which had been built and endowed for secular priests by Eadnorth, Bishop of Dorchester." 2

The Stout variant is most interesting in that the name and its variants were initially found at opposite ends of ancient England. To the north, Osbert Stute, Stutte was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Yorkshire in 1190-1191 while Hanry atte Stoute was found in Devon in 1330 where "Henry lived at Stout Farm in Yarcombe." 4

Other early rolls listed William Stutte, Stute, le Estut, Stut in the Assize Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1219 and later in the Assize Rolls for Worcestershire in 1221. William Estoute was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327. 4

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed two from the family: Willelmus Stoute; and Johannes Stoute as both holding lands there at that time. 3

Early History of the Stout family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stout research. Another 182 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1315, 1525, 1544, 1588, 1601, 1602, 1605, 1793, 1816, 1864, 1891, 1907 and 1953 are included under the topic Early Stout History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stout Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Stout include Stow, Stowe, Stoue and others.

Early Notables of the Stout family

Distinguished members of the family include John Stow (c. 1525-1605), English chronicler and antiquarian who has left us some of the most valuable accounts of life in London and England in the 16th century. He was born about 1525 in the parish of St. Michael, Cornhill, London, of which his father and grandfather were parishioners. "He describes himself in his youth as fetching milk 'hot from the kine' from a farm in the Minories. In early life he followed the trade of a tailor, which was doubtless his father's occupation. In 1544 a false charge, which is not defined, was brought...
Another 145 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stout Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stout Ranking

In the United States, the name Stout is the 822^nd most popular surname with an estimated 37,305 people with that name. 6

Stout migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Stout or a variant listed above:

Stout Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Tho Stout, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 7
Richard Stout, who arrived in New York in 1643 7
Roger Stout, who landed in Maryland in 1668 7
Stephen Stout, who arrived in Maryland in 1672 7
Mary Stout, who landed in Maryland in 1677 7

Stout Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Susan Stout, who landed in Virginia in 1714 7
Thomas Stout, who landed in Virginia in 1714 7
Johan Michael Stout, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 7
Johannes Stout, aged 30, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1737 7
Hans Adam Stout, aged 19, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1737 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stout Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Stout, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 7
Hester Stout, aged 26, who arrived in Key West, Fla in 1838 7
Philip H Stout, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1849 7
John Frederick Stout, aged 34, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1850 7
J H Stout, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stout migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Stout Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John Stout U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbour, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 8
Mr. Jonathan Stout U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbour, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 8
Ms. Leah Stout U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbour, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 8
Ms. Nancy Stout U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbour, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 8
Mr. Peter Stout U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbour, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stout Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Frederick Stout, who arrived in Canada in 1841

Stout migration to Australia +

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

Stout Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Stout, (b. 1808), aged 32, British Shoe Maker who was convicted in Newcastle on Tyne, Nothumberland, England for 14 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Asia" on 25th April 1840, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1842 9
George Stout, English convict from Staffordshire, who was transported aboard the "Anson" on September 23, 1843, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 10
Sophia Stout, aged 21, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Ascendant" 11
Sophia Stout, aged 21, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "The Ascendant" in 1851 11

Stout 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:

Stout Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

George Stout, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Alma" in 1857
Mrs. Inga Stout, (b. 1806), aged 57, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Brothers Pride" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 8th December 1863 12
Miss Margaret Stout, (b. 1829), aged 34, British dairywoman travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Brothers Pride" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 8th December 1863 12
Miss Barbara Stout, (b. 1834), aged 29, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Brothers Pride" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 8th December 1863 12
Mr. William Stout, (b. 1834), aged 29, British farm labourer travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Brothers Pride" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 8th December 1863 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Stout (post 1700) +

Lynn A. Stout (1957-2018), American corporate law scholar, Distinguished Professor of Corporate & Business Law at the Cornell Law School
Alan Burrage Stout (1932-2018), American composer of contemporary classical music from Baltimore, Maryland
J. Barry Stout (1936-2016), American politician, Member of the Pennsylvania Senate (1977-2010)
James Stout (1910-1986), American thoroughbred horse racing jockey, inducted into the United States Racing Hall of Fame (1968)
William Bushnell Stout (1880-1956), American inventor, designer of automobiles and aircraft, executive at the Ford Motor Company
Rear Admiral Herald F. Stout (1903-1987), Commanding Officer of the destroyer USS Claxton during World War II, eponym of the destroyer USS Stout (DDG-55)
Rex Todhunter Stout (1886-1975), American detective novelist, nominated Best Mystery Writer of the Century
Mitchell W. Stout (1950-1970), United States Army soldier, recipient of the Medal of Honor
Richard Stout (1836-1896), Union Navy sailor, recipient of the Medal of Honor
Gordon Stout (b. 1952), American percussionist, composer, and educator
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
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
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1840
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anson voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1843 with 499 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anson/1843
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The ASCENDANT 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Ascendant.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html