Orton
A habitational surname from several English places called Orton, usually meaning “upper farmstead” or similar.
The #5,201 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 45,944 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Orton is a habitational surname, taken from one of several English places named Orton. The place-name is usually explained from Old English elements meaning “upper” or “shore/bank” plus tūn, “farmstead, settlement,” so the sense is something like “upper farm” or “settlement by the bank.” Some early writers also allowed a personal-name interpretation, but the place-name explanation is the standard one.
History
The surname was carried by people who moved away from places called Orton in counties such as Cumberland, Huntingdonshire, Leicestershire, Staffordshire, and Westmorland. Medieval records show forms like Overton and Orton, reflecting the place-name’s older spellings and local pronunciation. Because several different towns and parishes share the name, the surname arose independently in more than one region.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same surname could point to more than one original hometown, since Orton is a place-name found in several parts of England.
From the historical record
“ORROCK, app. for Hoppook, q.v. ORTON (Eng.) Bel. to Ortoti = i the Shore or Bank Farmstead or Estate [O.E. ira, also dfer, shore, bank + tun] 2 the Upper Farmstead, etc. [O.E. ofer + iuti] 3 Orda's Estate [Orda, i. O.E. ord, a”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)