Contents [hide]

Stjohn History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Stjohn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Stjohn is a name that came to England in the 11th century wave of migration that was set off by the Norman Conquest of 1066. Stjohn comes from the saint bearing the ancient given name John. It is possible that individual cases may derive from the original bearer's residence in one of several places called St. Jean in Normandy that take their names from the same source. Stjohn is a classic example of an English polygenetic surname, which is a surname that was developed in a number of different locations and adopted by various families independently.

Early Origins of the Stjohn family

The surname Stjohn was first found in Oxfordshire where the family claim descent "from the great Domesday Baron Adam de Port, [who] took the name St John in the XII century on his marriage with the heiress of the powerful Norman family, so called." 1

"William de St. John, whose name was derived from the territory of St. John, near Rouen, came into England with [William the] Conqueror, as Grand Master of the Artillery, and supervisor of the waggons and carriages, whence the horses' hames, or collar, was borne for his cognizance. He married Oliva, daughter of Ralph de Filgiers, of Normandy, and had by her, Thomas, who died without issue, and John de St. John, who inherited, on the demise of his brother, all the lands in England, and principally the lordship of Stanton, co. Oxon [(Oxfordshire)] (for distinction from the other towns of the same name, called Stanton St. John). This John was a person of great eminence in the reign of William Rufus, being one of the twelve knights that accompanied Robert Fitz-Hamon, Earl of Gloucester, in a warlike expedition against the Welsh, and received, 'in reward for his great services, and helps in many victories,' the castle of Faumont, co. Glamorgan. " 2

Another source confirms in part, this lineage: "Stanton St. John in the union of Headington in Oxfordshire was home to the family. This place takes the adjunct to its name from the family of St. John, who held the manor in the reign of Edward III." 3

John de Saint-John (died 1302), was "Lieutenant of Aquitaine, the son of Robert de Saint-John and his wife Agnes, daughter of William de Cantelupe. His grandfather, William de Saint-John, was the son of Adam de Port. Robert de Saint-John died in 1267, whereupon John received livery of his lands. John also succeeded his father as Governor of Porchester Castle." 4

Another branch of the family was found at Warnford in Southampton. "The manor, in the reign of William I., belonged to Hugh de Port, whose descendant, William, assumed the name of his maternal grandmother, St. John: the old manor-house, near the church, is now a ruin called King John's, by corruption of the family name." 3

In the 17th century, "the family of St. John had a venerable mansion [in Battersea, Surrey], which was the favourite resort of Pope, who, when visiting his friend Lord Bolingbroke, usually selected as his study, in which he is said to have composed some of his celebrated works, a parlour wainscoted with cedar, overlooking the Thames." 3

Another branch of the family was found at Liddiard-Tregooze in Wiltshire. "This place has from the time of the Conquest been the property of the family of St. John, whose mansion and park are near the church." 3

Early History of the Stjohn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stjohn research. Another 168 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1085, 1096, 1540, 1559, 1577, 1582, 1583, 1589, 1596, 1598, 1618, 1630, 1634, 1640, 1653, 1663, 1673, 1678, 1685, 1711, 1714, 1749 and 1751 are included under the topic Early Stjohn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stjohn Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years the English language had no fixed system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations occurred commonly in Anglo Norman surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Stjohn were recorded, including St. John, St. Jean, Singen and others.

Early Notables of the Stjohn family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Oliver St John of Bletsoe, 1st Baron St John of Bletso (died 1582), an English peer, High Sheriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire; John St John, 2nd Baron St John of Bletso (d. 1596); Oliver St John, 3rd Baron St John of Bletso (c. 1540-1618); Sir Oliver St John (c. 1598-1673), an English judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1653, supporter of the Parliamentary cause in the English...
Another 82 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stjohn Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stjohn Ranking

In the United States, the name Stjohn is the 2,252^nd most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Stjohn family to Ireland

Some of the Stjohn family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 136 words (10 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stjohn migration to the United States +

The unstable environment in England at this time caused numerous families to board ships and leave in search of opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad in places like Ireland, Australia, and particularly the New World. The voyage was extremely difficult, however, and only taken at great expense. The cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels caused many to arrive diseased and starving, not to mention destitute from the enormous cost. Still opportunity in the emerging nations of Canada and the United States was far greater than at home and many went on to make important contributions to the cultures of their adopted countries. An examination of many early immigration records reveals that people bearing the name Stjohn arrived in North America very early:

Stjohn Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John St. John who settled in Virginia in 1654

Stjohn Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mrs. W. M. St John, aged 40, who landed in America, in 1895
Thomas St John, aged 55, who landed in America from County Tipperary, in 1895

Stjohn Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

William St John, aged 20, who settled in America from County Tipperary, in 1901
Emily St John, aged 35, who settled in America, in 1904
Guy B. St John, aged 27, who settled in America, in 1905
Kilsey M St John, aged 26, who immigrated to the United States, in 1907
Mary St John, aged 20, who landed in America from Scarriff, Ireland, in 1907
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stjohn migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Stjohn Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Alpheus Spencer St. John who settled in Canada in 1835
Nellie St John, aged 24, who settled in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1897

Stjohn Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Michael St John, aged 33, who settled in Conception Habour, Newfoundland, in 1917
John St John, aged 30, who settled in Avondale, Newfoundland, in 1917
Mary St John, aged 31, who settled in St. John's, Newfoundland,in 1923
Bernard St John, aged 42, who immigrated to Conception Bay, Newfoundland, in 1923
Cyril St John, aged 27, who settled in Conception Bay, Newfoundland,in 1923
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stjohn 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:

Stjohn Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss St John, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sir Edward Paget" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 25th May 1853 6
Mr. St John, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sir Edward Paget" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 25th May 1853 6
Mrs. St John, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sir Edward Paget" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 25th May 1853 6
Mr. John St John, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Sandford" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 9th July 1856 6
Miss Mary St John, (b. 1842), aged 25, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Lancashire Witch" sailing to Auckland and Lyttelton, New Zealand on 29th July 1867 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Stjohn (post 1700) +

Kristoff St. John (1966-2019), American ten-time NAACP Image Award winning, nine-time Daytime Emmy Award nominated actor, best known for his role of Neil Winters on The Young and the Restless
Thomas P. St. John, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from New York County 15th District, 1852-53
William St. John, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Mayor of Waterbury, Connecticut, 1953 8
Thomas St. John, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Ridgefield, 1832-33
Samuel S. St. John, American politician, Member of Connecticut State Senate 11th District, 1837
Lester St. John, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Darien, 1851
John Pierce St. John (1833-1916), American politician, Prohibition Candidate for President of the United States, 1884
John B. St. John, American politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives from Macomb County, 1848
Jeffrey St. John (b. 1931), American politician, Representative from New York 17th District, 1966
J. P. St.John, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Missouri, 1868 8
... (Another 41 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Stjohn 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: Data fata secutus
Motto Translation: Following my destiny.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html