CHARLTON
Charlton is an English locational surname originally stemming from the British Isles. It is typically associated with the Church of England as the prevailing religion of its earliest bearers.
The name is derived from the Old English words ceorl, meaning “free man” or “peasant”, and tun, meaning “settlement” or “enclosure”. Combined, the element ceorlatun indicated a community composed of free men or a peasant settlement. Consequently, the surname Charlton can be interpreted as “the settlement of the free man”.
Throughout medieval England there were numerous places named Charlton – in counties such as Berkshire, Hampshire, Sussex, Wiltshire, Northumberland and Somerset, among others. Each of these place‑names gave rise independently to the surname as a descriptor of an inhabitant or of origin. The use of locational surnames became commonplace in the 12th and 13th centuries as population growth and land ownership structures required clearer identification of individuals.
Documented evidence of the surname dates back to the late 12th century. The first recorded spelling appears in a 1193 entry of the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire as Jordan de Cherleton. This is a contemporary document of King Richard the Lionheart’s reign, spanning 1189 to 1199, and confirms the early existence of the name in official records.
Subsequent entries include Hugh de Charleton of Northumberland in 1333, and John Charlton of Tatton mentioned in the Wills Records at Chester in 1588. In the 16th century, further entries such as Mary, daughter of Francis Charlton, christened on 18 June 1548 at St. Mary’s, Whitechapel, and the christening of Nicholas, son of Thomas Charlton, on 8 November 1573 at St. Dunstan’s, East, London, illustrate the surname’s continued use during this period.
Over time the spelling of the surname displayed four principal variations: Charlton, Charleton, Chorlton and Carlton. These differences reflect regional pronunciation and orthographic practices in early modern English and have persisted into contemporary usage.
In modern Britain, the surname Charlton remains in use across the country, retaining its locational heritage and reflecting a lineage that can be traced linguistically and historically to its Anglo‑Saxon roots.
Typical given names associated with the Charlton surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
- William
Female
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Jacqueline
- Jane
- Julie
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- 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 Charlton in...
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Morse
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There are approximately 17,742 people named Charlton in the UK. That makes it the 496th most common surname in Britain. Around 272 in a million people in Britain are named Charlton.
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 Charlton
- Bobby Charlton - Football player and manager
- Jack Charlton - Football player and manager
- Manny Charlton - Musician
- Alethea Charlton - Actress (1931 to 1976)
- Simon Charlton - Football player
- Edward Colquhoun Charlton - Recipient of the Victoria Cross (1920 to 1945)
- James Martin Charlton - Director, writer and filmmaker
- Dave Charlton - -born South African racing driver (1936 to 2013)
- Billy Charlton - Football player (1900 to 1981)
- Edward Charlton - Royal Navy admiral (1865 to 1937)
- Bill Charlton - Football player (1912 to 1)
- Lionel Charlton - Infantry and Royal Flying Corps officer (1879 to 1958)
- Warwick Charlton - Journalist (1918 to 2002)
- Eddie Charlton - Squash player
- Stanley Charlton - Association football player born 1900 (1900 to 1)
- Harry Charlton - Football player
- Hall Charlton - Rugby union player
- John Charlton - Football player (1908 to 1969)
- Wilf Charlton - Football player (1933 to 1)
- Wilson Charlton - Bomb disposal expert (1907 to 1953)
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.