Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Stanygton 13 Ch 1310 SheffMan 1398

• Stanington, Stanyngton 13 Ch 1310 Hlm 1366,1384 Ipm 1383 FF 1609

• Stanynton 1332 Ipm

• Staneton 1342 SheffCh

• Stannyngton, Stannington 1440 SheffMan 1543 FF 1588 WillY

• Stainington 1588 WillY

Etymology

Although this seems to conform to a common type of p.n., 'farmstead associated with Stān' (v. -ing 4 , tūn ), an OE  pers.n. Stān is not on record; Feilitzen 371 notes that, whilst it is a very productive second theme in OE  names like Ælfstān , Dunstān , etc., it does not appear to have been used as a first theme until late OE  in names like Stānwine . Cases of its occurrence in p.ns. are doubtful or rare unless it is an anglicised version of ON  Steinn (cf. also Stansfield iii, 177infra , Stanesgate Ess 227). It is therefore more likely that we have the common word stān 'stone, rock', or a derivative of it, stāning .There are examples of -ingtūn with appellatives or p.ns. and r.ns.(cf. Rimington pt. vi infra , EPN i, 296 § c ). It should also be noted that Stene (RNs.), a former name of the R. Loxley (which is less than a mile to the north) is from Stǣne , but there is a phonological difficulty in associating Stannington with Stene . Stannington therefore probably means 'farmstead associated with or characterised by stone(s)'; there is a steep rocky declivity a third of a mile to the north (Cliff Rocher 233infra ). Cf. also Stanningden iii, 65, Stanningley iii, 116, 237 infra .