Hilton
A habitational surname meaning “from the hill-town,” especially associated with places called Hilton in England.
The #1,223 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 10,677 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hilton is a place-name surname from several English places called Hilton. The name is usually explained as Old English elements meaning “hill” + “town/settlement,” so the literal sense is “hill-town.” It could also point to more than one independent family, since there were many Hilton places and surnames in different counties.
History
The name appears in records from several English counties, and sources note that there were likely multiple unrelated Hilton families. One well-known medieval line was the baronial family of Hilton of County Durham, named from their ancestral seat, the Castle of Hylton. The surname later spread widely in England and, through migration, to other English-speaking countries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The Hylton Castle family helped make the surname especially famous in medieval County Durham.
From the historical record
“HILTON. There are parislies and places so called in many counties, and proliably several distinct families. The great baronial race who flourished in the XIV. cent, derived their name from the Castle of Hylton or Hilton, co. Durham, their ancient seat. " The origin of the family of Hilton is lost in the clouds of…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom