Show ContentsStoneburner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Cornwall, one of the original six "Celtic nations" is the homeland to the surname Stoneburner. A revival of the Cornish language which began in the 9th century AD has begun. No doubt this was the language spoken by distant forebears of the Stoneburner family. Though surnames became common during medieval times, English people were formerly known only by a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames were adopted in medieval England is fascinating. Many Cornish surnames appear to be topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees, many are actually habitation surnames. The name Stoneburner is a local type of surname and the Stoneburner family lived in Cornwall. Their name, however, is derived from the Old English word stan, meaning stone, and indicates that the original bearer lived near a prominent stone. 1 2

Early Origins of the Stoneburner family

The surname Stoneburner was first found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 which include the following early entries for the family: Warin de la Stane, Devon; Reginald ad Stone, Bedfordshire; and John de la Stone, Sussex, while the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Johannes del Stone; Robertus del Stones; and Elena de Stons. 3

Other early rolls point to the diverse spellings and the many places the family held: Robert Ston was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for Oxfordshire in 1212; Roger del ston found at Ely, Suffolk in 1277; Robert atte Stone in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296; Elias atte Stonis in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327; John in le Stones in the Subsidy Rolls for Staffordshire in 1332; William del stones in 1348; and Richard de Stone in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1275. 4

"Excepting its establishment in Derbyshire, this name is mostly restricted to the south of England and is especially at home in Berks and Bucks, and in the south - western counties of Somerset, Dorset, and Devon. It has probably in most cases a local origin, as in Somerset, Bucks, Kent, etc., where there are parishes and villages thus called." 5

Some of the family ventured into Scotland where the name was "probably of English origin. Thomas de Stone of Roxburghshire rendered homage [to King Edward I of England] in 1296. Thomas de Stone was common councillor of Aberdeen, 1435." 6

Early History of the Stoneburner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stoneburner research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1417, 1586, 1602, 1603, 1630, 1633, 1639, 1642, 1647, 1648, 1651, 1661, 1663, 1743 and 1787 are included under the topic Early Stoneburner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stoneburner Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Stone, Stoan and others.

Early Notables of the Stoneburner family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Gilbert Stone (d. 1417?), English medieval letter-writer, born at Stone in Staffordshire, whence he took his name.Nicholas Stone (1586-1647), was an English mason, statuary, and architect, born at Woodbury, near Exeter, in 1586, the son of a quarryman.Benjamin Stone (fl. 1630-1642), was an English sword-maker and enterprising cutler of London who about 1630 established on Hounslow Heath, on the site now occupied by Bedfont powder-mills, the earliest English sword factory of which anything is...
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stoneburner Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stoneburner Ranking

In the United States, the name Stoneburner is the 15,985th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 7

Ireland Migration of the Stoneburner family to Ireland

Some of the Stoneburner family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Stoneburner migration to the United States +

An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Stoneburner or a variant listed above:

Stoneburner Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Bessie E. Stoneburner, aged 34, who immigrated to Columbus, Ohio, in 1919

Canada Stoneburner migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Stoneburner Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Jacob Stoneburner Sr., U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 8
  • Mr. John Stoneburner U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1786 he was a Drummer for the Royal Regiment of New York 8
  • Mr. Joseph Stoneburner U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1786 he served in the Royal Regiment of New York 8
  • Mr. Leonard Stoneburner U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1786 he served in the Royal Regiment of New York 8
  • Mr. Jacob Stoneburner Jr., U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1786 he served in the Royal Regiment of New York 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Stoneburner (post 1700) +

  • Sam Stoneburner (1929-1995), American actor, known for Tootsie (1982), JFK (1991) and Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
  • Mark Stoneburner, American actor, known for Come Back Home (2014)
  • Roger Stoneburner (b. 1962), American stuntman, known for his work on Let Me In (2010), Priest (2011) and Step Brothers (2008)
  • Terri J. Stoneburner (b. 1945), American lawyer and jurist, Judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals (2000-2014)
  • Jacob Charles "Jake" Stoneburner (b. 1989), American football tight end who is currently a free agent
  • H. E. Stoneburner, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Ohio, 1912 9
  • Lewis T. Stoneburner, American co-founder of Cantor, Stoneburner, Ford, Grana & Buckner, P.C. a law firm in Virginia


The Stoneburner 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: Vive ut vivas
Motto Translation: Live that you may live for ever


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  6. 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)
  7. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  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
  9. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook