APPLETON
Appleton is a surname of English origin, historically traceable to the Old English words æppel meaning "apple" and tūn meaning "enclosure" or "settlement". The name is locational, indicating that the original bearers hailed from a place called Appleton or lived near an apple orchard.
The name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Apeltun and Epletune in several counties, including Cumberland, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Norfolk, Cheshire, Berkshire and Kent. Early post‑12th century records include Thomas de Appleton in the 1196 Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire and William de Appleton, Rector of Titchwell, Norfolk, in 1376. London Church Registers record the marriage of John Appleton and Elizabeth Mylls on 2 June 1561 at St. Dunstan in the East, and the christening of John, son of John Appleton, on 30 January 1567 at St. Botolph without Aldgate.
A 1622 list of early emigrants to Elizabeth City, Virginia notes a Richard Appleton, aged nineteen. In the mid‑17th century, Henry Appleton served as a Royal Navy Captain and Commodore during the Dutch War of 1652. The earliest documented spelling, Homeri de Lepeltone, dates from around 1182 in the “Red Book of Worcestershire” under the reign of King Henry XI (1154‑1189).
Throughout medieval and early modern England, the surname spread to a number of settlements named Appleton, particularly in Cheshire, Lancashire and West Yorkshire. Subsequent demographic records show that the surname remains most frequent in England, with notable diaspora in the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Variants of the surname include Appletun, Appletona, Appletone, Apelton, Apulton, Appulton and Apleton. Some early records—such as the Charter Rolls of Cheshire marked by Sir Hugh de Apletona in 1260—illustrate these orthographic differences. While often considered a habitational name, some forms may derive from an Old English personal name, Æppel, rather than from the common noun for apple. Consequently, the genealogical history of a particular lineage requires careful verification of documentary evidence.
In the wider context of Anglo‑Saxon society, the use of locational surnames such as Appleton reflects the importance of agriculture, especially apple cultivation, in shaping community identities. The name therefore offers insight into both geography and livelihood of the ancestors who first bore it.
Typical given names associated with the Appleton surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Stephen
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Julie
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Appleton in...
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Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Appleton are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Millionaire Shortbread.
There are approximately 9,129 people named Appleton in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,034th most common surname in Britain. Around 140 in a million people in Britain are named Appleton.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Appleton
- Nicole Appleton - Canadian pop singer
- Michael Appleton - Football player and manager
- Alistair Appleton - Television presenter
- Edward Victor Appleton - Physicist (1892 to 1965)
- Darren Appleton - Pool player
- Jay Appleton - Geographer (1919 to 2015)
- Colin Appleton - Football player and manager
- Ronald Appleton -
- George Appleton - Anglican bishop (1902 to 1993)
- Richard Appleton - Australian poet and raconteur (1932 to 2005)
- Andrew Appleton - Motorcycle racer
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.