- the Anglo-Saxon STER, STERR, STIR, STUR and STYR. STYR was evidently 'a thane at the court of Etheldred II' (H. Barber, "British Family Names", London, 1902)
- the son of Sterre(2) Early examples: Henricus Sterre, 1379 (Poll Tax West Riding of Yorkshire, p.57, 109); Thomas Stere, 1379 (ibid); Richard Sterre, 1416, vicar of Happesburgh (History of Norfolk, Blomefield and Parish); John Sterre, 1465, vicar of Quidenham (ibid) (C W Bardsley, "A Dictionary of English & Welsh Surnames", Baltimore, 1980)
- a nickname for 'star' or 'steer'. 'Sterre' in Middle English meant 'star'. 'Steer' or 'steor' in Old English meant 'bullock' (op.cit., Bardsley)
- a nickname for 'big, strong, stout'. From 'Stere' in Middle English apparently from the comparative 'stoeri' from the Old English word 'storr' or Old High German 'stiuri' meaning 'big and powerful'. (H. Harrison, "Surnames of the United Kingdom", London, 1918, vol 2)
- an early personal or baptismal name. Examples: Johannes le Ster (Hundreds Rolls, 1273, Oxfordshire), Robert le Ster (Hundreds Rolls, 1273, Sussex), Willam Ster (Hundreds Rolls, 1273, Cambridgeshire) (op.cit., Bardsley)
- the place 'Sturry', a parish in Kent (M A Lower, "A Dictionary of the Family Names of the United Kingdom", London, 1860)
Read more about the origins of the STERRY surname on
STERRY WORLDWIDE
