Weldon
A primarily English surname from places called Weldon, most likely meaning “spring hill.”
The #2,481 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 21,237 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Weldon is usually taken as a habitational surname, from places called Weldon in Northamptonshire and elsewhere in England. The form was explained in older sources as combining Old English elements for “spring” or “well” and “hill,” giving the sense of a hill by a spring. Some historical writers also treated it simply as “of Weldon,” meaning a person from that place.
History
Medieval records show early forms such as de Weldo(ne), which fits the common English pattern of surnames formed from place-names. The name spread beyond the original locality as people moved and the locational byname became hereditary. Later spellings include Weldon, Whelldon, and Welldon, and the surname also appears in Irish and American records through migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is tied to more than one English place named Weldon, which is one reason early spellings can vary across counties.
From the historical record
“WELDHEN, app. for Weidon, q.v. WELDON (Eng.) Bel. to Weidon (Northants : J ^thceat. Weidon, 13th cent. Weledon; Sec); or Dweller at the Spring-Hill [O.E. •m{i)ell{a, a spring + dun, a hill] WELFARE \ (Eng.) a nickname [M.E. welfare; WELFEAR JO.E. wel, well H- faru, a faring, (lit.) a journey]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)