Colton
A locational surname meaning “from Colton,” taken from several English place-names.
The #5,210 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 46,054 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Colton is a habitational surname, used for someone who came from a place called Colton. The place-name is generally understood as Old English elements meaning “coal” or “charcoal” plus “farmstead” or “settlement,” though some local names may have had slightly different early forms. In surname dictionaries, it is treated mainly as a place-derived name rather than as an occupational term.
History
Historical records in England show early forms such as de Colton and de Coleton in medieval documents. The surname is associated with places in Norfolk, Staffordshire, Yorkshire, and related localities, and it was later carried overseas, including to the United States. Some older writers also note occasional confusion with the similar surname Coulton.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname books specifically warn that Colton was often confused in records with the similar-looking Coulton.
From the historical record
“COLTMAN. A trainer of colts. COLTON. Parishes, &c. in cos. Norfolk, Staftbrd, and York. COL"\T[LLE. There are three places in Normandj' called Colleville, situated in the respective neighbourhoods of Caen, Bayeux, and Yvetot. From which of these came William de Colvile of Yorkshire, and Gilbert de Colavilla of…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom