Show ContentsStore History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Store family

The surname Store was first found in Northumberland where they were said to be descended from an ancient line of Viking settlers of knightly degree and with episcopal rank. Roughly translated from the Viking records the name means "dweller by large and rough water". They moved north into Renfrewshire, Scotland and acquired considerable estates. In Scotland, William Storie was a charter witness in Dundee in 1281. Walter Stori was canon of Aberdeen in 1320 and Adam Story was one of 'burgenses rure manentes in Aberdeen, 1317. 1

A few years later, in England, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 revealed Thomas Storre; Johannes Storre; and Roger Storre as all holding lands there at that time. "Storey is still among the most familiar of Yorkshire names, but it has become, of necessity, mixed with Storer, which also is well established in that county." 2

The variant Stary dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where the original name Stari was recorded in Suffolk. 3 Later, John Starie was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1275. In this case, the name may from the Old Norse name Stari, which was a nickname from stari, meaning "starling." 4

Early History of the Store family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Store research. Another 166 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1468, 1477, 1503, 1504, 1545, 1554, 1569, 1571, 1576, 1603, 1642, 1664, 1670, 1691, 1698, 1700, 1701, 1706, 1721, 1742, 1789, 1790, 1795, 1805, 1807, 1809, 1811, 1815, 1834, 1859, 1860 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Store History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Store Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Storie, Storey, Sturye, De Stury, Storrie, Story and many more.

Early Notables of the Store family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

  • Edward Story or Storey (died 1503), English priest, Bishop of Carlisle, 1468-1477, and Bishop of Chichester, 1477-1503; and Blessed John Story (or Storey) (1504-1571), English Roman Catholic martyr. H...

Migration of the Store family to Ireland

Some of the Store family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Store migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Store Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Peter Store, who landed in Virginia in 1662 5
  • William Store, who arrived in Virginia in 1665 5
  • James Store, who landed in Virginia in 1665 5
  • John Store, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 5
  • Henry Store, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 5

Store migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Store Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Store, (b. 1845), aged 29, Cornish settler departing on 18th September 1874 aboard the ship "Geraldine Paget" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 27th December 1874 6
  • Mr. William Store, (b. 1844), aged 30, Cornish farm labourer departing on 18th September 1874 aboard the ship "Geraldine Paget" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 27th December 1874 6
  • Mr. William Store, (b. 1873), aged 10 months, Cornish settler departing on 18th September 1874 aboard the ship "Geraldine Paget" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 27th December 1874 6


  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  6. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Lyttelton 1858-84 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/new_zealand_assisted.pdf


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