This long-established surname is English, but of pre 7th century Danish-Viking origins. It derives from the word "storr", meaning large, which was used both to denote someone of strong build, and also a keeper of oxen (cattle). The personal bynames as Stori and Estori, are recorded in the famous Domesday Book of 1086. Early examples of the surname recordings include: John Stor in the charters known as the Calendar of Letter Books for the city of London, and dated 1290, whilst Thomas Storre, appears in the Poll Tax returns for Yorkshire in 1379. The surname is recorded in many forms including Stor, Storr, Store, Storey, Storry, Storie and Storrie, and is particularly well recorded in the church registers of Yorkshire. Early examples include: Arthurus, the son of Georgi Storr, who was christened at Swillington, on February 22nd 1551, whilst on August 24th 1564, Henricus Storrie was christened at Whitgift in the same county. Samuel Stor, aged 17, who embarked from London on the ship "Faulcon" bound for the Barbados in April 1635, was an early settler in the New World. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Geoffrey Stor. This was dated 1200, in the "Pipe Rolls" of Norfolk, during the reign of King John of England, 1199 - 1216. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as the Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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