HILTON
The surname Hilton is rooted in England. It is an Anglo-Saxon, locational name that originally described a settlement situated upon a hill. The Old English elements that give rise to the name are hyll meaning “hill” and tun meaning “settlement” or “farm”. In this sense, Hilton can be translated as “hill settlement” or “farm on the hill”.
The earliest recorded spellings appear in the form Hyltun in medieval charters. Over time the orthography evolved and a number of variants were established, including Hylton, Hilten, Hillton, Hilleton and Hulton. These variations are often geographically linked; for example, the place name Hilton occurs in Durham, Staffordshire, Derbyshire and the North East of England, and the family name may have arisen independently at each location.
Throughout the Middle Ages the name was used exclusively within England. By the early modern period it had travelled to the wider British Isles, and from England bearers of the name were carried to the English colonies in the new world and to other parts of the Empire such as Australia, Canada and South Africa. In the modern era the surname is most frequently encountered in the United States, largely because of the prominence of the Hilton family of hotel magnates. Conrad Hilton, the founder of Hilton Hotels, and later his descendants—including the socialite Paris Hilton—have placed the name in the international public eye.
The surname remains common in England, particularly in the North East where the original barony of Hilton once stood. It is also represented in other English-speaking countries to a noticeable extent, but the distribution follows the pattern of historic migration rather than any recent popularisation. The name can also be found in recorded forms that are partially derived from the German word Hügel, meaning “hill”, although this line of derivation is comparatively rare. In many cases the surname has diverged so far from its original form that it may be regarded as a distinct family name in its own right, despite sharing a common linguistic root.
Typical given names associated with the Hilton surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Stephen
Female
- Alison
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jane
- Julie
- Karen
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- 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 Hilton in...
Braille
⠓⠊⠇⠞⠕⠝
Morse
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Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Hilton are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Jaffa Cake.
There are approximately 18,647 people named Hilton in the UK. That makes it the 464th most common surname in Britain. Around 286 in a million people in Britain are named Hilton.
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 Hilton
- Paris Hilton - American socialite and television personality
- Conrad Hilton - American hotelier (1887 to 1979)
- James Hilton - Writer (1900 to 1954)
- Kathy Hilton - American actress
- Steve Hilton - Political consultant
- Lisa Hilton - Writer and historian
- Barron Hilton - American hotelier (1927 to 2019)
- Ronnie Hilton - Singer and radio presenter (1926 to 2001)
- Peter Hilton - Mathematician (1923 to 2010)
- Isabel Hilton - Journalist and broadcaster
- Rodney Hilton - Historian (1916 to 2002)
- Lewis Hilton - Football player
- Jennifer Hilton, Baroness Hilton of Eggardon - Peer
- Roger Hilton - Artist (1911 to 1975)
- Harold Hilton - Amateur golfer (1869 to 1942)
- Mark Hilton - Tennis player
- William Hilton - Artist, 1786-1839 (1786 to 1839)
- Paul Hilton - Football player
- Doug Hilton - Australian molecular biologist
- John Hilton - Surgeon (1805 to 1878)
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.