Newton
A place-name surname meaning “new farmstead” or “new settlement,” found at many sites across Britain.
The #443 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 4,167 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Newton comes from Old English niwe “new” + tūn “enclosure, farmstead, settlement.” In other words, it originally meant a newly built or newly enclosed farm or village. Because many places in Britain were named Newton, the surname could arise independently in many different local families.
History
The name is extremely common as a surname because there are many places called Newton in England and Scotland. Historical surname writers also note that it was borne by several unrelated families, including local lines in Norfolk and Devon. The best-known bearer is probably Isaac Newton, whose family was traced by antiquarian writers to an East Anglian Newton family.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Lower noted that there were dozens of places called Newton in Britain, which helps explain why the surname has so many independent origins.
From the historical record
“stede] NEWTON (Eng.) Bel. to Newton; or Dweller at the New Farm-stead, Estate, Manor, &c. [usual A.-Sax. dat. form ' set Niwantune ' (v. under Newington), f. niwe and <m«] Alan de Neuton. —”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)