Stanyan

This name, with variant spellings Stanyan, Stanion, and Stannion, is of English locational origin from a place in Northamptonshire called Stanion. Recorded as "Stanere" in the Domesday Book of 1086, and as "Stanerna" in the 1163 Pipe Rolls of that county, the place was so called from the Olde English pre 7th Century "stan", meaning "stone", plus "earn", a house, or more specifically a storehouse. It is thought that a megalithic chamber tomb may be referred to here. Such locational names were frequently given as a means of identification to those who left their place of birth to settle elsewhere. On October 18th 1620 Saby Stanyon, an infant, was christened in Potton, Bedfordshire. Eliyabeth Stanyan and Robert Goodger were married in King's Cliffe, Northamptonshire, on October 17th 1664, and on January 24th 1668, Eliyabeth Stanion was christened in St. Botolph without Aldgate, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Rachell Stanyon, which was dated December 28th 1609, christened at St. Botolph without Aldgate, London, during the reign of King James 1 of England and V1 of Scotland, 1603 - 1625. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.