Stanley Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Stanley Family History

Stanley Family History

The Stanley ancient family history was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. Meaning 'of Stanley', this is a locational name from various places in Derbyshire, Durham, Gloucester, Staffordshire, Wiltshire, and Yorkshire. This name is of Anglo-Saxon descent spreading to the Celtic countries of Ireland, Scotland and Wales in early times and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts throughout the above islands. Examples of such are a William de Stanlegh, county Wiltshire, who was recorded in the 'Hundred Rolls', England, in 1273 and a Robertus de Stanelegh, who was recorded in the 'Poll Tax', of the West Riding of Yorkshire in 1379. The Stanley family hold the Earldom of Derby and trace their ancestry back to a companion of William the Conqueror, Adam de Aldithley. A branch of this family took the name Stanley when Adam de Aldithley's grandson married the heiress to the manor of Stanley. In Ireland this name has been on record in Counties Louth and Meath since the thirteenth century. Today it is mostly found in Leinster and Munster Provinces.The Stanley family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Stanley descendants.