Dutton
A place-name surname from Dutton in Cheshire and Lancashire, later carried by an old landed family of that district.
The #2,123 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 18,101 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Dutton is a locational surname, taken from Dutton, an old township in the Ribchester area of Lancashire and also associated with Cheshire. The place-name is generally explained as an Old English formation, probably meaning something like “Dudda’s hill/enclosure” or “Dudda’s settlement,” though the exact first element is not fully certain in older sources. As with many English place-names, the surname simply identifies someone who came from that place.
History
The surname was borne early by a prominent local family in Cheshire and Lancashire, and the excerpts note medieval spellings such as de Dutton. Historical sources also connect the Duttons with lands and manorial power in that region. Over time the name spread beyond its original area and became established more widely in England and later overseas, especially in North America.
Origin
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Fun fact
An old saying quoted in surname literature plays on the name: “Dutton, Dutton kills.”
From the historical record
“William Weyver, booker (Chesh.). — Siar-Chmhr. Proc, c, A.D. 1520 (Bostock V. Dutton). WEBB "1 (Eng.) Weaver [M.E. wehhe, O.E. WEBBE J webba (m.), webbe (f.), weaver] Adam le V^ebhe.—Hund. Rolls.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)