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![Show Contents]() Highton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The history of the Highton family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in or near the settlement of Heighton in the county of Sussex. The surname is thought to derive from one of several place names composed of the old English elements "heah" or "high" and "tun," meaning "enclosure or settlement." The surname Highton belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Early Origins of the Highton familyThe surname Highton was first found in Sussex where the first record of the name is John atte Heghetun who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. Today Hightown is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside but originally part of Cheshire. 1 However, other references list Hightown in what was formerly Lancashire. "The Huytons of Billinge held land [in Skelmersdale, Lancashire] as early as 1307." 2 Early History of the Highton familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Highton research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1279 and 1296 are included under the topic Early Highton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Highton Spelling VariationsUntil quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Highton include Heighton, Highton, Huyton and others. Early Notables of the Highton familyMore information is included under the topic Early Highton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Highton migration to the United States | + |
Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Highton or a variant listed above:
Highton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- William Highton, who settled in Maryland in 1771
| Contemporary Notables of the name Highton (post 1700) | + |
- Henry Highton (1816-1874), English scientific writer, born at Leicester, eldest son of Henry Highton of that town 3
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- 'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
- Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020
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Highton migration to the United States 
