Staunton — Irish Surname Origin & Meaning
Irish form: de Stondún
Meaning: 'from Staunton' (an English place-name)
Traditional stronghold: Mayo
Pronunciation: STAWN-tun; Irish de Stondún: deh ston-DOON
History of the Staunton name
The de Stauntons were among the Anglo-Norman families who carved out lordships in Connacht in the thirteenth century, settling in the barony of Carra in County Mayo around Castlecarra on Lough Carra. Like their neighbours the Barretts and Prendergasts they became hibernicised, and a branch adopted the Gaelic patronymic Mac an Mhíleadha, 'son of the knight', which was later re-anglicised as MacEvilly - so that Staunton and MacEvilly are historically the same family. Mayo has remained the name's home ever since, and it is still far more common there than anywhere else in Ireland. The English spelling Stanton is used interchangeably by many families.
Variants: Stanton · MacEvilly
Famous bearers of the name
- Steve Staunton — Louth-born defender with 102 Republic of Ireland caps who played at three World Cups and later managed the team.
- Imelda Staunton — Oscar-nominated London actress born to Mayo emigrant parents.
Related names from the same part of Ireland: Walsh · Burke · Moran · Higgins · Conway · Costello · Jennings · Browne