Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Stovenebi 1086 DB

• Stouenesbia c.1130 LeicSurv

• Stouenesbi Hy3 Rut e.13 BelCartB e.15

• Stouenesby 1220 MHW 1237 RGros Hy3 Rut 1276 RH

• Stovenesbi 1204 Cur

• Stovenesby 1209×35 RHug

• Stounesby 1245 FConc 1248 Cl Hy3 Crox 1275 Pat 1361 WoCart 1449 Rut 1366 Fine 1548 LEpis 1574

• Stounesbi 1272 RGrav 1297 Coram

• Stounisby Hy3 Crox Edw1 CroxR 1317 Wyg 1320 WoCart 1449

• Stounysby l.13(1449),1302(1449) 1317 Wyg 1333 WoCart 1449

• Stownesby 1202 FF c.1291 Tax 1396 Rut

• Stownisby p.1250 WoCart 1449

• Stounsby 1320 Rut 1333(1449),1336(1449) WoCart

• Stonesby 1317 Wyg 1325,1359 Pat 1502 MiscAccts 1578 LEpis 1610 Speed

• Stonesbye 1553 Pat 1574 LEpis 1576 Saxton

• Stonesbie 1576 LibCl 1578 LEpis 1599 Rut

• Stonysby 1502 MiscAccts 1509 Fine 1535 VE

• Stonysbye 1484 Rut

Etymology

Ekwall (DEPN) suggests that the first el. of this p.n. may be OE (or ON) stofn 'the stump of a tree', poss. as an earlier OE  p.n. Stofn (cf. Stoven in Suffolk, with forms Stoune , Stouone 1086 DB). He is followed in this interpretation by Fellows-Jensen (SSNEM 71). Insley (SNPh 70 (1998) at 19 n.) believes rather that as the first el. we must look to an elliptical OE  locative p.n. in the dat.sg., i.e. *Stofne '(settlement) at the tree-stump', to which Scand  bȳ was added in a genitival formation subsequent to the Scandinavian settlement.

The ubiquitous forms with a genitival construction may indicate alternatively that the first el. is an unrecorded pers.n. Stofn (also proposed by DEPN), poss. a Scand by-name formation derived from the substantive, to be compared with the similar, but recorded, Scand  pers.n. Stúfr , an original by-name from OIcel  stúfr 'a stump' (v. SPNLY 267), v. bȳ ).