The origin of the name Stannaway is perfectly evident from references in Archbishop Alen’s Register, such as ‘the way called the “Stony wey”’ (13th century), ‘le Stonyweye’ (16th century). It is clearly of English origin. Bóthar na Stainge, an ad hoc translation on earlier bilingual signage, has no linguistic or historical basis.

The Irish word stang is recorded in placenames, denoting a land-measure. It is generally considered to be a loan-word from Middle English stang. (A direct borrowing from Old Norse stong, ‘pole’, has also been suggested.) For instance, the word is preserved in the townland name Stang in Finglas, Co. Dublin, which is attested from as early as the mid-seventeenth century (‘Erwards stang’). It is quite clear, on a comparative basis, that there is no linguistic connection between ‘Stoney (wey)’ and stang. It would also be absurd from a linguistic point of view to regard stang as an Irish form of Old Norse steinn (a cognate of Modern English stone), as there is no evidence that that noun was borrowed by Irish speakers. (Note that we have a reference from the ninth century to a Viking leader named Stain in Irish annals [< ON Steinn], a spelling radically different from stang.)

The Placenames Branch recommended Bóthar na gCloch as the official Irish version of the townland name Stannaway in 2010. The draft placenames order of administrative names in Co. Dublin which included Stannaway/Bóthar na gCloch was subsequently examined by the Placenames Commission. The draft order was then published and the usual three-month public consultation period followed, during which no submissions were received in respect of the Irish name of that townland. The names were given legal status in the Placenames (County Dublin) Order, 2011.