Burton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Burton is a name that was brought to England by the ancestors of the Burton family when they migrated to the region after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The Burton family lived in Burton which is the "name of no less than forty parishes and places in England." 1 The name literally means "fortified enclosure" or "fortified farmstead." 2

Early Origins of the Burton family

The surname Burton was first found in Shropshire where they were descended conjecturally from Drogo de Beuvriere a kinsman of William the Conqueror who held lands at Burton Agnes, Burton Constable and a manor house or castle at Burton Pidsea.

The surname "is derived from Boreton, in the parish of Condover, in Shropshire, an estate which remained in the family until the reign of James I. 'Goiffrid de Bortona' (Burton,) one of the foresters of Shropshire, in the reign of Henry I., is the first recorded ancestor." 3

Another branch of the family was found at Dalton in Lancashire in early times. "At the time of the Domesday Survey, the manor was held by a Saxon chief named Gilmichael, and it was afterwards annexed to the manor of Burton; soon after the time of Richard I. it seems to have been granted to the family of Burton." 4

"William Burton, the antiquary, and his brother Robert, author of the Anatomy of Melancholy, were natives of [Lindley, Leicestershire], the former born in 1575, and the latter in 1576." 4

William of Berton, (fl, 1376), was Chancellor of Oxford in 1380. "Berton's Chancellorship is important because of its connection with the Wycliffite controversy respecting the sacrament which then agitated Oxford. " 5

Early History of the Burton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burton research. Another 182 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1250, 1300, 1350, 1354, 1575, 1600, 1609, 1622, 1632, 1645, 1656, 1659, 1661, 1668, 1681, 1682, 1714, 1748, 1853, 1890 and 1953 are included under the topic Early Burton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burton Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Burton have been found, including Burton, Birton, Byrton, Burtone and others.

Early Notables of the Burton family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Thomas Burton (died 1661), of Brampton Hall, Westmorland, English MP for Westmorland from 1656 to 1659
Hezekiah Burton (1632-1681), an English theologian
William Burton (1575-1645), an English antiquarian, best known as the author of the "Description of Leicester Shire" (1622)
Catharine Burton (1668-1714), an English Carmelite nun from Bayton, near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk

Burton World Ranking

In the United States, the name Burton is the 227^th most popular surname with an estimated 114,402 people with that name. 6 However, in Canada, the name Burton is ranked the 387^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,048 people with that name. 7 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Burton is the 70^th popular surname with an estimated 385 people with that name. 8 Australia ranks Burton as 216^th with 15,451 people. 9 New Zealand ranks Burton as 252^nd with 2,399 people. 10 The United Kingdom ranks Burton as 135^th with 37,269 people. 11

Migration of the Burton family to Ireland

Some of the Burton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Burton migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Burton were among those contributors:

Burton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

George Burton, who arrived in Jamestown, Va in 1608 aboard the ship "Second Supply" 12
Richard Burton, aged 28, who landed in Virginia in 1624 aboard the ship "Swan" 12
Boniface Burton, who landed in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1632 12
William Burton, aged 20, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Globe" 12
William Burton, aged 24, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Thomas" 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Burton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Peter Burton, who arrived in Virginia in 1700 12
Henry Burton, who arrived in Virginia in 1713 12
Samuel Burton, who arrived in Virginia in 1714 12
Charles Burton, who arrived in America in 1722 12
Thomas Burton, who arrived in South Carolina in 1735 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Burton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James Burton, who landed in Maryland in 1807 12
John Burton, who landed in America in 1811 12
Joseph Burton, aged 55, who landed in New York in 1812 12
Joseph Burton, who settled in Portland Maine in 1820
Thomas Burton, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1821 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Burton Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. William A. Burton, (b. 1885), aged 19, Cornish labourer travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 22nd May 1904 en route to New York, USA 13
Henry Charles Burton, who landed in Alabama in 1922 12

Burton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Burton Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Burton, who settled in St. John's and was Constable of Bonavista, Newfoundland in 1706 14
Daniel Burton, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Richard Burton, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Robert Burton, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Benjamin Burton, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Burton Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Ally Burton, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1811
John Burton, aged 27, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Maria" from Cork, Ireland
John Burton, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1843

Burton migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Burton Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century

Ms. Rachael Burton, (b. 1744), aged 46, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 14th January 1790, sentenced for 7 years for stealing a beaver coat, transported aboard the ship "Pitt" on 17th July 1791 to New South Wales, Australia 15

Burton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. George Burton, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" in May 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
Mr. John Burton, (b. 1802), aged 14, English baker who was convicted in Surrey, England for life for breaking and entering, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" in May 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1863 16
Mr. John Burton, (Barton), (b. 1798), aged 21, English farm labourer who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years for burglary, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1840 17
William Burton, a carpenter, who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
Mr. James Burton who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 24th March 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 18
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Burton migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Burton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

James Burton, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
John Burton, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1840
Richard Burton, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Oriental
James Burton, aged 51, a smith, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1841
Elizabeth Burton, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1841
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Burton migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 19

Burton Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. Thomas Burton, (b. 1616), aged 19, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Anne and Elizabeth" arriving in Barbados in 1635 20
Mr. John Burton, (b. 1618), aged 17, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Alexander" arriving in Barbados in 1635 21
Mr. George Burton, (b. 1612), aged 23, British settler travelling aboard the ship "Expedition" arriving in Barbados in 1636 22
John Burton, who settled in Barbados with his wife Elizabeth and son Charles in 1678
Tho Burton, aged 24, who arrived in Antigua (Antego) in 1684 12

Contemporary Notables of the name Burton (post 1700) +

Richard Burton CBE (1925-1984), Welsh born actor, nominated seven times for Academy Awards 23
Walter Leon Burton (1935-2022), American professional football player who played 14 games for the New York Titans in 1960
Wendell Ray Burton (1947-2017), American television executive and former actor, best known for his co-starring role with Liza Minnelli in the movie The Sterile Cuckoo (1969)
Tirrel Burton (1930-2017), American football player, coach, and radio broadcaster
Anthony "Tony" Burton (1937-2016), American actor, comedian, boxer and football player, best known for his role as Tony "Duke" Evers in the Rocky franchise
Gabrielle Burton (1939-2015), American feminist novelist and screenwriter, known for her novel "I’m Running Away From Home but I’m Not Allowed to Cross the Street: A Primer of Women’s Liberation"
George Aubrey Burton Jr., (1926-2014), American Certified Public Accountant, Finance Commissioner of Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana (1971-1978)
Raymond S. "Ray" Burton (1939-2013), American politician, New Hampshire Executive Council District 1 (1977-1979)
Levardis Robert Martyn Burton Jr. (b. 1957), American actor, director, producer and author better known as LeVar Burton 24
Harold Hitz Burton (1888-1964), American lawyer, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1945-58) 25
... (Another 24 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Burton family +

Air New Zealand Flight 901

Mrs. Lorraine Eileen Burton (1939-1979), New Zealander passenger, from Wellington, North Island, New Zealand aboard the Air New Zealand Flight 901 for an Antarctic sightseeing flight when it flew into Mount Erebus; she died in the crash 26

HMS Royal Oak

Ronald D. Burton, British Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he survived the sinking 27
John William Burton (1915-1939), British Leading Stoker with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 27

RMS Titanic

Mr. Edward John Burton (d. 1912), aged 32, English Fireman/Stoker from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 28

SS Caribou

Mr. F. E. Burton, British passenger who was Royal Air Force was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he survived the sinking

The Burton Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Lux vitae
Motto Translation: The Light is my guide.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 1st March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's. Retrieved 23rd September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 28th September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Richard Burton. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Richard Burton. Retrieved from http://www.richardburton.com
Levardis Burton. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Levardis Burton. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LeVar_Burton
Harold Burton. (Retrieved 2010, September 27) Harold Burton. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Hitz_Burton
Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html