Show ContentsCulton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Culton is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in Colton. There are places named Colton in Staffordshire, Norfolk and North Yokshire. Although the Staffordshire origin is more common some families' names are derived from the Norfolk location.

Early Origins of the Culton family

The surname Culton was first found in Colton or Coulton, located in Staffordshire, North Yorkshire, Norfolk and Cumbria. The places had a variety of listings in the Domesday Book including Coletuna 1, Coletune (North Yorkshire) and Coltone (Staffordshire.) However, the meaning of the place names were essentially the same: "farmstead of a man called Cola or Koli" having derived from the Old English or Old Scandinavian personal name + tun. 2 The Cumbria placename was originally listed as Coleton in 1202, but its origins may have been much earlier.

One of the first records of the family was John Colton (d. 1404), Archbishop of Armagh, "said to have been born at Terrington in Norfolk. He was chaplain to William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich, who may have introduced him to Edmond Gonville, the founder of Caius and Gonville College, Cambridge, of which he was appointed the first master in 1348. " 3

Early History of the Culton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Culton research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1126, 1235, 1296, 1320, 1371 and 1404 are included under the topic Early Culton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Culton Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Culton are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Culton include: Colton, Coulton and others.

Early Notables of the Culton family

Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Culton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Culton family to Ireland

Some of the Culton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Culton migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Culton or a variant listed above:

Culton Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mary Culton, aged 47, who landed in America, in 1907
  • William James Culton, aged 45, who landed in America, in 1907
  • Martha Culton, aged 8, who immigrated to America from Belfast, Ireland, in 1913
  • Thomas Culton, aged 15, who immigrated to the United States from Belfast, Ireland, in 1913
  • James Culton, aged 7, who immigrated to the United States from Belfast, Ireland, in 1916
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Culton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Culton Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Anthony Culton, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1783

Contemporary Notables of the name Culton (post 1700) +

  • William D. Culton, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1932 4
  • Ruth Ann Culton, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Missouri, 1996 4
  • Jill Culton, American animator, best known for her directorial debut on Sony's first animated movie, Open Season


  1. Page, William (ed), A History of the County of Norfolk. London: Victoria County History, 1906. Print
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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