Stokley Family History

English (Huntingdonshire) is a habitational name from any of various places called Stockleigh or Stockley, including Stockley in Rolleston (Staffordshire), Stockley in Asthall (Oxfordshire), Stockleigh English and Stockleigh Pomeroy (Devon), and Stockley in Brancepeth (Durham); the placenames all derive from Old English stocc ‘tree trunk stump’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

Another variant is Stokesley, a habitational name from Stokesley (North Yorkshire). This placename also has Old English origins, deriving from stoc ‘place, secondary settlement’ (genitive stoces) + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.

These names reflect the geographical features of the areas from which they originate, indicating a connection to nature and the landscape.

The usage of similar elements in creating placenames demonstrates the historical importance of natural features in the settlement and naming of places.

Overall, the names highlight the rich linguistic heritage of English place naming and its roots in Old English terminology.