Longstaff has nothing to do with a long staff. It was previously written of Longstaff "Apparently an occupational name for a tipstaff or beadle who carried a long staff as a badge of office; perhaps also a nickname for a very tall, thin man, or even an obscene nickname for a man with a long sexual organ. The surname is found chiefly in northeastern England." What fertile imaginations some people have. It is far from apparent that it is a nickname for someone with a staff. We will try and be a little bit more scientific. For more information please read the Activity Feed.