Sternes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Sternes

What does the name Sternes mean?

Sternes is a name whose history dates far back into the mists of early British times to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes. It is a name for a stern person. The surname Sternes is derived from the Old English word styrne, which means severe, strict, uncompromising, and austere. 1 2

Early Origins of the Sternes family

The surname Sternes was first found in Cambridgeshire where Henry Sterne and Aubn Sterne was recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 3 Later, Haney Sterne was listed in Norfolk in 1460. 4

Early History of the Sternes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sternes research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1592, 1596, 1607, 1624, 1642, 1643, 1660, 1664, 1669, 1683, 1700, 1713, 1745, 1759 and 1768 are included under the topic Early Sternes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sternes Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Sternes has been recorded under many different variations, including Sterne, Stern, Stearn, Stearns and others.

Early Notables of the Sternes family

John Sterne, Bishop of Colchester in 1592 who held the post until his death in 1607; and Richard Sterne (c. 1596-1683), English Church of England priest, Bishop of Carlisle in 1660, Archbishop of York from 1664 to 1683. He was the alleged author of the 'Whole Duty of Man.' 5 "On the outbreak of the civil war, Sterne zealously adopted the royalist cause, and in August 1642 he arranged for the despatch of large quantities of college plate to the king. Cromwell, however, who, as one of the burgesses of Cambridge, was engaged in securing that town for parliament, had Sterne...
Another 146 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sternes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sternes family to Ireland

Some of the Sternes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 174 words (12 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sternes migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Sternes or a variant listed above:

Sternes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Dorothy Sternes, who arrived in Virginia in 1650 6

Sternes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Sternes, who arrived in Texas in 1835 6
J A Sternes, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 6

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)