WORTHINGTON
Worthington is a surname of strictly English origin, deriving from geographical place names within the British Isles. The name is fundamentally a locational identifier, indicating that an ancestor was associated with a particular settlement or town.
The compositional elements of the name are formed from two Old English words: worth, meaning an enclosure or a small settlement, and tun, meaning a town or larger settlement. When these elements are combined, the resultant meaning is that of someone who lived near or was from a settlement designated by the term “worth”.
Historical evidence shows that the name appears in several early administrative documents. The earliest recorded spelling is that of Snarri de Wurethintona, dated 1169 in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire during the reign of King Henry I. The name is also found in the Curia Rolls of 1210 in Lancashire, where it appears as “Worthinton.” In Leicestershire it is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as “Werditone.” These entries demonstrate that the name was in use across multiple counties in England from the late eleventh to the twelfth centuries.
During the Middle Ages, as internal migration increased driven by economic factors, individuals frequently adopted their former village name as a surname for identification purposes. This practise contributed to the dispersal of the name from its initial locations in Lancashire and Leicestershire to other parts of the country. Subsequent documented instances include William de Wurthington, appearing in the Assize Court Rolls of Lancashire in 1246, and John Worthyngton, mentioned in the Calendar of Inquisitiones Post Mortem for Nottinghamshire in 1439.
A later example of the surname occurs in the civil records of the mid‑sixteenth century. Agnes, daughter of Hugh Worthington, was christened on the 16th of April 1560 at Wilmslow in Cheshire. This entry provides an additional illustration of the surname’s continued presence across the English counties.
An armorial bearing has been associated with the Worthington name. The grant describes a silver shield bearing three black dungforks. While the precise genealogical connection between the bearers of this coat of arms and the broader Worthington population remains unverified, the existence of heraldic emblems signifies that members of the family were recognized within the traditional heraldic system of England.
In summary, the surname Worthington originates from Old English terms describing a settlement, has its earliest documented instances in the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries, and is recorded in a range of legal and civil documents across several English counties. The name’s historical continuity through archival records provides a reliable foundation for understanding its etymology and geographic distribution within England.
Typical given names associated with the Worthington surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
Female
- Ann
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Jane
- Jennifer
- Julie
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- 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 Worthington in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 10,001 people named Worthington in the UK. That makes it the 923rd most common surname in Britain. Around 154 in a million people in Britain are named Worthington.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Worthington
- Sam Worthington - Australian actor and writer
- Frank Worthington - Football player
- Nigel Worthington - Northern Irish football player and manager
- Jon Worthington - Football player
- Dave Worthington - Football player
- Gary Worthington - Football player
- Laming Worthington-Evans - Politician (1868 to 1931)
- Tony Worthington - Politician
- Bryony Worthington, Baroness Worthington - Member House of Lords
- Eric Worthington - Football player and football coach (1925 to 2006)
- Matt Worthington - Football player
- Sarah Worthington -
- Charles Worthington - Cricket player (1877 to 1950)
- Martin Worthington - Football player
- F. F. Worthington - Canadian general (1889 to 1967)
- Fred Worthington - Football player (1924 to 1995)
- James Worthington -
- Calvert Worthington - Cricketer (1830 to 1871)
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.