Kingston
A place-based surname meaning “from the king’s town” or a town called Kingston.
The #4,998 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 43,900 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Kingston is a locational surname taken from any of several English places named Kingston or Kingstone. The name comes from Old English elements meaning “king” and “town, settlement,” so the literal sense is “the king’s settlement” or “king’s town.” It could identify someone who came from one of these places, rather than someone connected personally with a king.
History
Historical surname dictionaries note many English parishes and towns called Kingston, which helped the name arise independently in several places. Bardsley also remarks that some forms now written Kingston may originally have been Kingson, showing that spelling could shift over time. The surname is well established in Britain and later spread through English-speaking countries, including North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname writers counted two dozen English towns or parishes named Kingston or similar, which helps explain why the surname is fairly widespread.
From the historical record
“county of Berkshire in the XV. cent. KINGSTON. Twenty-four towns, parishes, &c., of this nfime are given in the English Gazetteer. KINGTON. Parishes, &c. in cos. Hunt- ingdon, Gloucester, Worcestei", Dorset, and Wilts. KINLESIDE. A local name apparently of Northern origin, though I cannot find the place. It may be…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom