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Stanhope History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Stanhope History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Stanhope family

The surname Stanhope was first found in Durham at Stanhope, a small market town in the wapentake of Darlington which "gave name to this knightly family of whom the first recorded ancestor is Walter de Stanhope, whose son Richard died at Stanhope in 1338 or 1339." 1

The town actually dates back further to 1183 when it was first listed as Stanhopa. Literally the town's name means "stony valley" from the Old English words "stan" + "hop." 2

The parish of Shelford in Nottinghamshire was home to a tragic event in the family. "The manor-house [of Shelford] was garrisoned by Colonel Stanhope, son of the first earl of Chesterfield, for Charles I., and was taken by storm by Colonel Hutchinson, for the parliament, after a gallant resistance, during which Colonel Stanhope and most of his men were slain. The church is a handsome structure in the later English style; it is the burial-place of the noble family of Stanhope. An hospital called the Bede Houses, was founded and endowed in 1694, by Sir William Stanhope, for the reception and support of six of his decayed tenants. " 3

Over in Horsley, Derbyshire another branch of the family was found in early days. "On the summit of a hill, about a mile from the church, are the ruins of the baronial castle of Horestan, or Horston, said to have been built in the twelfth century; in the time of Elizabeth, the edifice was in the possession of the Stanhope family, and, it is said, was occupied by them." 3

Early History of the Stanhope family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stanhope research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1471, 1511, 1546, 1552, 1584, 1608, 1609, 1626, 1627, 1628, 1634, 1656, 1660, 1667, 1673, 1679, 1685, 1689, 1690, 1694, 1703, 1708, 1711, 1714, 1717, 1721 and 1756 are included under the topic Early Stanhope History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stanhope Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Stanhope, Stanehop, Stanehope, Stenhop, Stanhopes and others.

Early Notables of the Stanhope family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

Sir Michael Stanhope (d. 1552), partisan of the Protector Somerset, second son of Sir Edward Stanhope (d. 1511)
Sir Edward Stanhope (1546?-1608), Chancellor of the diocese of London, born at Hull about 1546, was the fourth son of Sir Michael Stanhope
Philip Stanhope (1584-1656), 1st Earl of Chesterfield, an English nobleman, aristocrat and royalist, created the first Earl of Chesterfield by King Charles I in 1628
Katherine Stanhope, Countess of Chesterfield (1609-1667), governess and confidante of Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange
Arthur Stanhope (1627-1694), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1660 and 1679
Sir William Stanhope (1626-1703), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Nottingham (1685-1689)
Philip Stanhope, 2nd Earl of Chesterfield PC (1634-1714)
James Stanhope, 1st Earl Stanhope PC (c.1673-1721), British statesman and soldier, Chief Minister (1717-1721), the first British Governor of Minorca, which he had captured from the Spanish, between 17...

Stanhope Ranking

In the United States, the name Stanhope is the 10,975^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Stanhope migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Stanhope Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jasper Stanhope, who arrived in Maryland in 1661 5
Jonathan Stanhope, who landed in New England in 1664 5

Stanhope Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Rivers Stanhope, who arrived in New England in 1715 5

Stanhope Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Henry Stanhope who settled in New York State in 1811 with his wife
Mr. Stanhope, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 5
Samuel Stanhope, who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1868

Stanhope migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Stanhope Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Henry Stanhope, who arrived in Halifax or New York in 1811

Contemporary Notables of the name Stanhope (post 1700) +

Doug Stanhope (b. 1967), American stand-up comedian and 2008 presidential candidate
Philip Henry Stanhope (1805-1875), fifth Earl Stanhope, English historian and peer, the elder and only surviving son of Philip Henry Stanhope, fourth Earl Stanhope
Lady Hester Lucy Stanhope (1776-1839), English eccentric, the eldest daughter of Charles, viscount Mahon
Edward Stanhope (1840-1893), English politician, second son of Philip Henry, fifth Earl Stanhope
Charles Stanhope (1753-1816), third Earl Stanhope, an English politician and man of science, born in London
William Stanhope (1719-1779), 2nd Earl of Harrington, English politician, soldier and nobleman
Leicester Fitzgerald Charles Stanhope (1784-1862), fifth Earl of Harrington, Irish peer, third son of Charles Stanhope, third Earl of Harrington
Charles Stanhope (1753-1829), third Earl of Harrington, British soldier, eldest son of William Stanhope, second Earl of Harrington, and grandson of William Stanhope, first Earl of Harrington
William Stanhope (1702-1772), British Member of Parliament for Lostwithiel in 1727 and Buckinghamshire (1727-1741) and (1747-1768)
William Stanhope (1922-2009), 11th Earl of Harrington, British captain and peer
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Stanhope 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: A Deo et rege
Motto Translation: From God and the king.

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"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)