Stearns History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Stearns is a name of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was a name given to a stern person. The surname Stearns is derived from the Old English word styrne, which means severe, strict, uncompromising, and austere. 1 2

Early Origins of the Stearns family

The surname Stearns was first found in Cambridgeshire where Henry Sterne and Aubn Sterne was recorded in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 3 Later, Haney Sterne was listed in Norfolk in 1460. 4

Early History of the Stearns family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stearns research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1592, 1596, 1607, 1624, 1642, 1643, 1660, 1664, 1669, 1683, 1700, 1713, 1745, 1759 and 1768 are included under the topic Early Stearns History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stearns Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Stearns were recorded, including Sterne, Stern, Stearn, Stearns and others.

Early Notables of the Stearns family

Notables of the family at this time include John Sterne, Bishop of Colchester in 1592 who held the post until his death in 1607; and Richard Sterne (c. 1596-1683), English Church of England priest, Bishop of Carlisle in 1660, Archbishop of York from 1664 to 1683. He was the alleged author of the ‘Whole Duty of Man.’ 5 “On the outbreak of the civil war, Sterne zealously adopted the royalist cause, and in August 1642 he arranged for the despatch of large quantities of college plate to the king. Cromwell, however, who, as one of the burgesses of Cambridge, was engaged…
Another 146 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stearns Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stearns Ranking

In the United States, the name Stearns is the 2,119^th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 6