Surname Stone - Meaning and Origin

iGENEA DNA Test: A Stone's Journey to Discovering Ancestral Ties

My experience with the iGENEA DNA test was a fantastical and educational journey back in time. Delving into my ancestral past was like reading an unwritten chapter of my family history. The discovery of my roots and the origin of my surname, Stone, evolved my perspective of my identity and strengthened my connection with my lineage.

W. Stone

Stone: What does the surname Stone mean?

The surname Stone is of English origin and is topographic and occupational in nature. It was originally used to refer to a person who lived near a prominent stone or rock landmark, derived from the Old English word 'stan' meaning stone. Alternatively, it could also denote a person who worked with stone, hence an occupational surname for a stone mason or stone cutter. The 'Stone' surname started to be used during the Middle Ages when people began to adopt surnames to distinguish themselves from others. For instance, if two people in the same town were named John, one could be referred to as 'John near the stone' or 'John the stone cutter'. Over time, this name shortened to John Stone. The surname Stone is widely distributed across the English-speaking world, particularly in England, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Stone: Where does the name Stone come from?

The last name Stone is common in many regions of the world today. In the United States, the name is most prominent in the states of California and New York. It ranks as the 651st most common surname in the country. In the United Kingdom, Stone is the 322nd most common name.

In Canada, the name is prominent in all provinces, especially Ontario and British Columbia, and is the 455th most common surname. In Australia, the most common areas for Stone are New South Wales and Victoria and it ranks as the 284th most common surname.

In Europe, Stone is relatively common in France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. In Romania, it is the 41st most common name. Finally, the last name is also quite common in India and China, where it has been adopted as a first name.

Variations of the surname Stone

The surname Stone has various variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. These include Ston(e), Ston(e)s, Ston(e)y, Steyne, Steign, Stoneman, Stayinge, Staining, Stoun, Stonay, Stonier, Stenart, Steart, Staine, Stiles, Stanes, Stenye, Styne, Stain, Stanner, Stannard, Stanforth, Stanely, and Ston(e)ham.

The most popular variants for the surname Stone are Ston(e) and Ston(e)e. The surname Ston(e) has been known to have developed as a topographical name, derived from someone who lived by either a tree stumps, or a rocky area. It has also been known to have derived from a nickname for someone who was stern, and a variant of stories from Norse mythology.

Over the years, some of the spellings for the surname Stone have changed from the original Latin spelling of “Stundonem” to names familiar to us today such as Steyne, Ston(e)s, Ston(e)y, and Ston(e)ham.

Stoneman is another common variant of the surname Stone, stemming from an occupational name. This variant of the surname relates to the business of quarrying stone and lime, transportation of stone and lime, and masonry.

Stonays is a variant of the Stone surname, and refers to the children of the stonemason. Throughout history, these individuals have often been referred to as ‘stonays’, or ‘son of the stonemason’.

The various variants, spellings and surnames derived from the Stone surname are some of the most common used today. With so many different origins and spellings, it is not hard to see why the surname Stone holds such an illustrious history.

Famous people with the name Stone

• Emma Stone: Academy Award winning actress
• Sharon Stone: Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominated actress
• Phil Stone: famous British barrister
• Oliver Stone: Academy Award winning Director, Screenwriter and Producer
• Harry Stone: Professional football player
• Sharon Stone: Legendary Motown singer
• Charlie Stone: Musician, producer, songwriter
• Elizabeth Garrison Stone: First female to play on a professional football team
• David Stone: Award-winning American theater director
• Julia Stone: Indie-folk singer-songwriter and musician
• Abraham Stone: celebrated American portrait painter
• Tommy Stone: Founder of the first charter school in the United States
• Brian Stone: Professional Baseball Player
• Jill Stone: Professional ice skater
• Alexandra Stone: British fashion designer
• Ben Stone: embryologist, evolutionary biologist, and philosopher
• Megan Stone: Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus in the Roman Catholic Church
• Judy Stone: Award-winning journalist
• Boomer Stone: Basketball player
• Rock Stone: Professional martial artist, UFC Star

Other surnames

StonackerStonakerStonatStonbrakerStonebrakerStonebreakerStonebridgeStoneckerStonehockerStonekStonemanStonerStonickerStonieckStoniesStonikerStonisStonitschStonjeckStonjekStonusStonys