WHORTON
Whorton is a surname of English origin, recorded in the British Isles and most notably in England. Its etymology stems from the Old English personal name Weorth, meaning *worthy* or *valuable*, coupled with the suffix -ton, which denotes a settlement or enclosure. Consequently, the name was interpreted as *the settlement of the worthy one* or *the valuable enclosure*.
In addition to this direct derivation, the surname is regarded as a variant of the locational name Wharton, which itself originates from several place‑names in England. Historical documents record the town in Cheshire as Wanetune in the Domesday Book of 1086 and as Waverton in 1260. The name there shares its origin with Wharton in Herefordshire, recorded as Wavertune in Domesday, and derived from the pre‑7th‑century Old English river name Waefer, from waefre meaning *wandering* or *winging*, combined with tun for settlement. The Lincolnshire Wharton appears as Warton in Domesday, its first element coming from Old English wearde (beacon) or waroth (shore). The Westmorland locality was recorded as Werfton in the 1202 Feet of Fines, and as Querton in the 1238 Pipe Rolls, the first element arising from Old English hwearf (wharf) or hwerf (embankment). Locational surnames such as Whorton were adopted by individuals who left their birthplace to settle elsewhere, and dialectal variation produced a range of surname forms.
Church registers provide further evidence of the name’s use in England. For example, the marriage of Michaell Whorton to Gennet Geaslinge is recorded in Sedbergh, Yorkshire, on 26 October 1606. A similar entry document the christening of Elsabeth, daughter of Rychard Whorton, on 11 January 1618 at Brough under Stainmore, Westmorland.
The earliest confirmed spelling of the family name appears in the medieval legal record of 1324 as Richard de Wharton, noted in the Inquisitiones Post Mortem of Nottinghamshire, during the reign of King Edward I. The surname has also been associated with a coat of arms that depicts a silver maunch (sleeve) on a black shield.
In contemporary geography, the surname remains predominantly situated in the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau records 1,133 individuals with the name, with the bulk residing in the South: Texas (232), Georgia (128), Tennessee (117), and Alabama (86). Other states with a notable presence include California (51), Mississippi (48), and Virginia (34). In the United Kingdom, 52 individuals bear the name, mainly in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Canadian records show 72 individuals, while Australia lists eight. The name’s distribution reflects migration patterns from South England – specifically Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire – where archaic elements such as wroht (worker) and tun (settlement) suggest the surname was adopted by someone moving into a new settlement to work there.
Variants of the name documented across records include Wharton, Wherton, Wartin, Whorten, Whorton, Woorten, and Woorton. Related surnames of shared origin or historical connection comprise Warfield, Worton, Worthington, Worthy, and combinations such as Wharton‑Wilkins, Warthen, Wharton‑Gill, Steward, and Worsham. The first appearance of the name in the United States dates from 1637, and it has subsequently been found in county registers from the early 1600s onward, reflecting the family’s long-established presence both in Britain and North America.
Typical given names associated with the Whorton surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Brian
- Christopher
- David
- Ian
- John
- Keith
- Mark
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
Female
- Alexandra
- Catherine
- Daphne
- Debbie
- Dorothy
- Elizabeth
- Jacqueline
- Louise
- Rachel
- Ruth
- Susan
- Valerie
- Virginia
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 Whorton in...
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There are approximately 411 people named Whorton in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around six in a million people in Britain are named Whorton.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
