Linton
A habitational surname meaning “from Linton,” a place name found in several parts of Britain.
The #2,524 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 21,509 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Linton is a habitational surname taken from one or more places called Linton. The place-name is generally understood as Old English elements meaning “flax” or “lime-tree” plus “settlement” or “farm,” though the exact first element can vary by locality. In surname use, it simply marked someone who came from a place called Linton.
History
The name appears early in medieval records, including people styled “de Linton” in the 12th and 13th centuries. Because there are several places called Linton across England and Scotland, the surname likely arose independently in more than one region. Later records show the name spreading widely, with different local branches not necessarily sharing a single ancestor.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname writers specifically noted that there are several distinct Linton families, because the place-name occurs in so many counties.
From the historical record
“LINTON 1566. Married— Lawrence (blank) and Dorythye Lyngarde, widow \ St, Michael, Cornhill, p. g. Tliomafl Ling^ard. of Eccles, butcher^ 1569: Wills at Chester (1545-1620), p. 124. John Ling^rd, of Middlewich, 1595:”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)