WALTON
Walton is a surname of strictly English provenance, first documented in the Latinised form de Woltan in the late thirteenth century. The earliest surviving example is the name of Odo de Wolton, recorded in the 1273 Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a register compiled under the reign of King Edward I. Subsequent early occurrences include Robertus de Woltan of Kent in 1274. These entries confirm that the family name was established in England well before the Norman Conquest.
The etymology of Walton is rooted in Old English. It combines the word wealh, meaning “foreigner” or “Briton”, with tun, denoting a settlement or enclosure. Consequently the name has been interpreted to mean “the settlement of the Britons” or “the enclosure of the foreigners”. The name therefore functions as a locational or habitational surname, indicating that the bearer originated from a place styled Walton.
There are several villages and parishes in England named Walton, such as Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex and Walton-on-the-Hill in Devon. The surname may have arisen independently in any of these localities, or from a now lost medieval settlement called Wolton in the south east of the country. In addition, some sources suggest that the root could stem from a topographical element combining the prefix wald (wood) with the suffix tun, or from the rare pre‑Norman form weall‑tun, meaning a stone building. No claim is made that the name reflects any particular ethnic group beyond the descriptive “foreign” meaning of wealh.
Notable bearers of the surname appear in the early modern period. Izaak Walton (1593–1683) was a celebrated author, best known for his work The Compleat Angler, and a staunch Royalist during the civil wars. Valentine Walton (1620–1661), son‑in‑law of Oliver Cromwell, is recorded as a signatory of the death warrant of King Charles I in 1649. In the American colonies, George Walton (1741–1804) was a signer of the 1776 Declaration of Independence; his grandfather had emigrated from England in 1682, and a John Walton is documented as a settler in Virginia in 1623, one of the earliest English families in the region.
Throughout its history the surname has retained its English character, with documented uses consistently linked to geographic locations within England. The enduring use of the name in the medieval and early modern periods, combined with the clear etymological root in Old English place‑making elements, provides a firm basis for any discussion of the name’s origin and meaning without resorting to conjecture.
Typical given names associated with the Walton surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Christine
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Janet
- Julie
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Walston
- Waldon
- Walt
- Walto
- Waldan
- Walden
- Waldin
- Waldun
- Waldwyn
- Wallden
- Walldon
- Walon
- Waltan
- Walten
- Waltens
- Walterton
- Walthen
- Walthon
- Waltin
- Waltons
- Waltos
- Waltow
- Waltson
- Waltton
- Weelden
- Weeldon
- Weellaton
- Weilden
- Weildon
- Weldan
- Welden
- Weldin
- Weldon
- Weldone
- Wellden
- Welldon
- Welleton
- Wellton
- Welten
- Weltin
- Welton
- Weltun
- Whaldon
- Whalton
- Whealdon
- Whealton
- Wheelden
- Wheeldin
- Wheeldon
- Wheelton
- Wheilden
- Wheildon
- Whelden
- Wheldon
- Whelldon
- Whelton
- Whielden
- Whieldon
- Whilden
- Whildin
- Whildon
- Whilton
- Wholton
- Wildan
- Wilden
- Wildin
- Wildine
- Wildon
- Willaton
- Willden
- Willdon
- Williton
- Willton
- Wilten
- Wilton
- Wolden
- Woldon
- Wollaton
- Woltan
- Wolten
- Wolton
- Woolaton
- Woolten
- Woolton
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Walton in...
Braille
⠺⠁⠇⠞⠕⠝
Morse
.--.-.-..-----.
Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Walton are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Custard Cream.
There are approximately 37,434 people named Walton in the UK. That makes it the 199th most common surname in Britain. Around 575 in a million people in Britain are named Walton.
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 Walton
- Tony Walton - Set and costume designer
- William Walton - Composer (1902 to 1983)
- Sam Walton - American businessman (1918 to 1992)
- Izaak Walton - Author and biographer (1593 to 1683)
- Anna Walton - Actress
- Alice Walton - American heiress to the fortune of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
- Christian Walton - Football player
- Kent Walton - TV sports commentator and presenter (1917 to 2003)
- Jo Walton - Welsh Canadian writer
- John Walton - Darts player
- Frederick Walton - Manufacturer and inventor of Linoleum (1834 to 1928)
- Sally Walton - Field hockey player
- Cecile Walton - Scottish painter (1891 to 1956)
- Caz Walton - Paralympic athlete
- John Walton - Football player (1928 to 1979)
- Jack Walton - Football player
- Sophie Walton - Football player
- Peter Walton - Football referee
- Mark Walton - Welsh football player
- George Henry Walton - Scottish architect (1867 to 1933)
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.