Dighton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The name Dighton reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Dighton family lived in the North Riding of Yorkshire. They descended from the distinguished Norman family of Picot d'Auton, and it is from that local name, which means from Auton, that the surname derives. 1

Early Origins of the Dighton family

The surname Dighton was first found in Yorkshire. There are three parishes named Deighton in Yorkshire: the chapelry in the North Riding; the township in the East Riding; and the parish named Kirk Deighton in the West Riding. 2

All have the same meaning: "farmstead surrounded by a ditch," from the Old English "dic" + "tun." 3

All date back to the Domesday Book of 1086 but with very different spellings in use at that time: Dictune (North Riding); Distone (near York); and Distone (Kirk Deighton.) 4

The Dictune spelling had an impact on early rolls, Thomas and Henry de Dicton were found in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1204 and later in 1259. Richard de Dyghton was listed in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1327. 5

Some of the family were found in Scotland where the name as "local, probably from Dighton or Deighton in the North Riding of Yorkshire. John de Dychton, subdeacon of Urquhart, 1343." 6

Early History of the Dighton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dighton research. Another 172 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1340 and 1419 are included under the topic Early Dighton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dighton Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Dighton family name include Daton, Dayton, Deighton, Dauton and others.

Early Notables of the Dighton family

More information is included under the topic Early Dighton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dighton family to Ireland

Some of the Dighton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dighton family

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Dighton family to immigrate North America: Ralph Dayton who settled in New Haven Conn. in 1630; Mary Dayton arrived in Virginia in 1648; B. and W.B. Dayton arrived in San Francisco Cal. in 1852.

Contemporary Notables of the name Dighton (post 1700) +

Robert Dighton (1752-1814), English portrait painter, print maker and caricaturist 7
William Dighton, medieval English clerk in the Privy seal and briefly Keeper of the Privy seal
Denis Dighton (1792-1827), English painter
Richard Dighton (1795-1880), English artist in the Regency period
Michael Gray Dighton (b. 1976), Australian cricket player
John Dighton (1909-1989), successful British playwright and screenwriter
Dighton Corson, American politician in the states of Wisconsin and South Dakota
General Sir Dighton MacNaghton Probyn VC, GCB, GCSI, GCVO, ISO (1833-1924), Irish soldier, who received the Victoria Cross in 1857 for bravery in the Battle of Agra, India, later made a General

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020