Explore the Family Name Stanley
The meaning of Stanley
1. English: habitational name from any of various places called Stanley, including those in Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Durham, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire, named with Old English stān ‘stone, rock’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. This English name has been established in Ireland since the 13th century where it was Gaelicized as de Stainléigh. 2. English: possibly also a variant of Stoneley, a habitational name from Stoneley Green in Burland (Cheshire), Stoneleigh (Warwickshire), or Stonely in Kimbolton (Huntingdonshire), all named with Old English stān ‘stone, rock’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’. 3. Americanized form of any of various like-sounding names in other languages, for example Polish Stanislawski, Greek Anastasiou, and Serbian Stojadinov (patronymic from the personal name Stojadin). History: The Stanley family (see 1 above) who have been Earls of Derby since 1485 trace their descent from Adam de Aldithley, a companion of William the Conquerer. Some of his descendants have the name Audley, but another branch adopted the name Stanley when Adam de Aldithley’s grandson married the heiress to the manor of Stanley in Staffordshire. A member of this family, Sir John Stanley (died 1414), was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and was granted sovereignty over the Isle of Man by Henry IV. — The explorer and journalist Sir Henry Morton Stanley (1841–1904) was born John Rowlands in Denbigh, Wales, but traveled as a cabin boy in 1858 from Liverpool, England, to New Orleans, LA, where he was adopted by a merchant surnamed Stanley. From the late 1860s he worked as a correspondent for the New York Herald, and traveled extensively in Africa.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Stanley in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Stanley has experienced a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. The ranking fell from 292 in 2000 to 321 in 2010, marking a change of -9.93. However, the count of individuals with the Stanley surname increased by 3.25 percent during this period, growing from 93,817 to 96,867. The proportion per 100,000 people also declined by 5.58, going from 34.78 in 2000 to 32.84 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #292 | #321 | -9.93% |
| Count | 93,817 | 96,867 | 3.25% |
| Proportion per 100k | 34.78 | 32.84 | -5.58% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Stanley
When it comes to ethnic identity associated with the surname Stanley, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows some shifts between 2000 and 2010. Individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Hispanic, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native all saw increases in this ten-year span. The highest increase was seen among those who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, with a growth of 42.31 percent. Those identifying as two or more races saw an increase of 24.20 percent, while the Hispanic category grew by 37.58 percent. The percentage of Black individuals increased by 6.71, and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw a rise of 10.48 percent. Meanwhile, the percentage of individuals identifying as White decreased by 2.78 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 81.04% | 78.79% | -2.78% |
| Black | 14.15% | 15.1% | 6.71% |
| Hispanic | 1.65% | 2.27% | 37.58% |
| Two or More Races | 1.57% | 1.95% | 24.2% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.05% | 1.16% | 10.48% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.52% | 0.74% | 42.31% |
Stanley ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Stanley is British & Irish, which comprises 54.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.7%) and Eastern European (3.9%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.5% |
| French & German | 21.7% |
| Eastern European | 3.9% |
| Other | 19.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Stanley
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Stanley have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 85.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 84.80% |
What Stanley haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Stanley is R-Z346, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z346 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-S2606 and I-L233, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Brooks, Gardner, Smith, Meyer, Green, White, Taylor, Cook, Peters, Hill.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Stanley surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Stanley have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Stanley" Surname 41.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Stanley" Surname 24.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Stanley" Surname 22.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Stanley" Surname 17.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Stanley?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Stanley are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition