Stanley

English

Etymology

From places in England, Old English stān (“stone”) + lēah (“meadow”). Equivalent to stone +‎ -ley (“lea”).

• The given name has also been used as an anglicisation of Stanisław, Stanislav and related names.

The coastal town in Hong Kong is named after Edward Henry Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈstænli/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ænli

Proper noun

Stanley

1. A habitational surname from Old English.
2. A male given name transferred from the surname. Popular in early 20th century.
3. Any of several places, outside England named for persons with the surname:
   1. A town, the capital of the Falkland Islands, also known as Port Stanley.
   2. A small town in Circular Head council area, north-west Tasmania, Australia.
   3. A small town near Beechworth, Victoria, Australia.
   4. A neighbourhood near the centre of Alexandria, Egypt.
   5. A coastal town and area in Southern district, Hong Kong

      Synonyms: (obsolete) Chek Chue, Chek Chu

      • 2007 April 8, Ann M. Morrison, “36 Hours in Hong Kong”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 22 April 2012, Travel‎^[2]:

        From Central, hop on a double-decker bus (No. 6, 6X or 66) to the former fishing village of Stanley (about 8 Hong Kong dollars one way). The ride will take you from the commercial district, over the hills (or through a tunnel), to the South Side, a residential area with splendid beaches, Riviera-style corniches and wide-open views of the South China Sea.

      • 2024 January 11, “Stanley: where timeless elegance meets modern luxury”, in South China Morning Post‎^[3], →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on January 11, 2024, Lifestyle‎^[4]:

        As you stroll through the streets of Stanley, you’ll be mesmerised by its rich history. This charming small town holds a significant place in Hong Kong’s past, as it was the earliest administrative centre for the British government before the bustling Central District, formerly known as Victoria City, was established.

   6. A number of places in Canada:
      1. A ghost town in the Cariboo region, British Columbia.
      2. The Rural Municipality of Stanley, a rural municipality in southern Manitoba.
      3. A village in York County, New Brunswick.
      4. The Rural Municipality of Stanley No. 215, a rural municipality in south-east Saskatchewan.
   7. A number of places in the United Kingdom:
      1. A village in Stanley and Stanley Common parish, Erewash borough, Derbyshire, England (OS grid ref SK4240).
      2. A former coal town and civil parish in County Durham, England (OS grid ref NZ1953).
      3. A small suburb of Liverpool, Merseyside (OS grid ref SJ3891).
      4. A small village in Endon and Stanley parish, Staffordshire Moorlands district, Staffordshire, England (OS grid ref SJ9352).
      5. A village in the Metropolitan Borough of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England (OS grid ref SE3424).
      6. A hamlet in Bremhill parish, Wiltshire, England (OS grid ref ST9572).
      7. A village north of Perth in Perth and Kinross council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NO1033).
   8. A number of places in the United States:
      1. An unincorporated community in Napa County, California.
      2. The former name of an unincorporated community in Fresno County, California, now called Turk.
      3. A tiny town in Custer County, Idaho.
      4. An unincorporated community in Hart Township, Warrick County, Indiana.
      5. A tiny city in Buchanan County and Fayette County, Iowa.
      6. A neighborhood of Overland Park, Kansas; suburb of Kansas City.
      7. An unincorporated community in Daviess County, Kentucky.
      8. A village in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana.
      9. An unincorporated community in Santa Fe County, New Mexico.
      10. A hamlet in the town of Seneca, Ontario County, New York.
      11. A town in Gaston County, North Carolina.
      12. A small city, the county seat of Mountrail County, North Dakota.
      13. A town in Page County, Virginia.
      14. A small city in Chippewa County and Clark County, Wisconsin.
      15. A town in Barron County, Wisconsin.

Quotations

• c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:

  Go then and muster men: but leave behind
  Your son George Stanley: look your heart be firm
  Or else his head's assurance is but frail.

• 1990, Ed McBain, Vespers, W.Morrow, →ISBN, page 61:

  The man was named Stanley. This was his real name; who on earth would want to change his name to Stanley unless he planned on becoming a dentist?

Derived terms

• Endon and Stanley
• Port Stanley
• Stanley and Stanley Common
• Stanley Common
• Stanley County
• Stanley Falls
• Stanley Green
• stanleyite
• Stanley knife
• Stanley Pontlarge

 

Further reading

• Saul B. Cohen, editor (1998), “Stanley”, in The Columbia Gazetteer of the World‎^[5], volume 3, New York: Columbia University Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 3011, column 3

Anagrams

• Antleys, Tansley, stanyel, Saltney