The proud Stoneback family originated in Cornwall
, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England
. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name
. The manner in which hereditary surnames
arose is interesting. Local
surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. The Stoneback family originally lived in Cornwall
. Their name, however, is derived from the Old English word stan,
and indicates that the original bearer lived near a prominent stone.
Early Origins of the Stoneback family
The surname Stoneback was first found in Cornwall
where they held a family seat
from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest
and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Stoneback family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stoneback research.Another 223 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1651, 1639, 1602, 1663, 1633, 1743 and 1787 are included under the topic Early Stoneback History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Stoneback 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 Stoneback family (pre 1700)
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stoneback Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Stoneback family to Ireland
Some of the Stoneback family moved to Ireland
, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Stoneback family to the New World and Oceana
In the immigration and passenger lists a number of early immigrants bearing the name Stoneback were found: Mrs Stone, who settled in Massachusetts in 1633; Andrew Stone, who settled in Virginia in 1635; Ann Stone, who settled in Boston, Massachusetts in 1635.
Contemporary Notables of the name Stoneback (post 1700)
- Chauncey E. Stoneback, American Democrat politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1912 (alternate), 1916 CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html