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Show ContentsHilton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The lineage of the name Hilton begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes in Britain. It is a result of when they lived in the parish of Hilton found in several locations including Derby, Dorset, Durham, Staffordshire and the North Riding of Yorkshire. The surname Hilton is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill. In this case the original bearers of the surname Hilton lived in the hill-town.

Early Origins of the Hilton family

The surname Hilton was first found in Durham, now in the area of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England where one of the first records of the name was Robert Hylton, 1st Baron Hylton (d. 1322.) His son, Alexander, was called to Parliament in 1332 and 1335. This first line of Barons Hylton continued for 424 years ending with John Hylton, the 18th Baron Hylton (1699-1746.)

Walter Hilton (d. 1396), was a religious writer and Canon of the house of Augustinian canons at Thurgarton in Nottinghamshire. 1

Hylton Castle is now a ruined stone castle in the North Hylton and is owned by English Heritage. "It was the residence of the Hyltons from the time of King Athelstan to the year 1746, and the building has the arms of that ancient family and its alliances engraven on it in numerous places; its battlements are ornamented with statues, and its corners with circular turrets." 2

Early History of the Hilton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hilton research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1295, 1296, 1322, 1340, 1356, 1360, 1377, 1385, 1396, 1400, 1435, 1447, 1451, 1457, 1500, 1532, 1535, 1560, 1599, 1609 and 1657 are included under the topic Early Hilton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hilton Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Hilton has undergone many spelling variations, including Hilton, Hylton and others.

Early Notables of the Hilton family

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

Hilton World Ranking

In the United States, the name Hilton is the 1,161st most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 3 However, in Australia, the name Hilton is ranked the 783rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4 And in the United Kingdom, the name Hilton is the 498th popular surname with an estimated 12,967 people with that name. 5

Ireland Migration of the Hilton family to Ireland

Some of the Hilton 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.

United States Hilton migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. 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 Hilton were among those contributors:

Hilton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Hugh Hilton, aged 36, who arrived in Virginia in 1619 aboard the ship "Edwine" 6
  • William Hilton, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621 board the "Fortune", he died before his wife arrived in 1623 6
  • Miss Mary Hilton, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1623 aboard the ship "Anne" 6
  • Hugh Hilton, who landed in Virginia in 1623 6
  • William Hilton, Jr., who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1623 aboard the ship "Anne"
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Hilton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Mathias Hilton, who arrived in New England in 1738 6
Hilton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • R Hilton, who landed in New York, NY in 1812 6
  • Robert Hilton, who arrived in America in 1818 6
  • John Hilton, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 6
  • Jonathan Hilton, who landed in Rhode Island in 1861 6
  • George Hilton, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1870 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Hilton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hilton Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Harris Hilton, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
  • Amy Hilton, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Ben John Hilton, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Sgt. William B. Hilton U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1784 7
Hilton Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Alexander Hilton, who landed in Canada in 1833

Australia Hilton migration to Australia +

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

Hilton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • James Hilton, English convict from Surrey, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia 8
  • Mr. George Hilton, English convict who was convicted in Sussex, England for life for theft, transported aboard the "Fame" on 9th October 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
  • William Hilton, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "Adamant" on March 16, 1821, settling in New South Wales, Australia 10
  • Mr. Amos Hilton, (b. 1800), aged 28, English weaver who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 7 years for breaking into a warehouse, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 29th April 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
  • William Hilton, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Somersetshire" in 1839 12
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Hilton 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:

Hilton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Robert Hilton, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1843
  • Mr. Hilton, British settler travelling from London via Plymouth aboard the ship "Tasmania" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on to Lyttelton on 26th February 1853 13
  • John Hilton, aged 28, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Shamrock" in 1856
  • George Hilton, aged 26, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "England" in 1872 14
  • Mr. George R Hilton, (b. 1853), aged 24, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Marlborough" arriving in Bluff, South Island, New Zealand on 4th November 1877 15

West Indies Hilton 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. 16
Hilton Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Miss Alice Hilton, (b. 1617), aged 18, British settler travelling from London, England aboard the ship "Anne and Elizabeth" arriving in Barbados in 1635 17
  • Mr. Hugh Hilton, (b. 1612), aged 23, British settler traveling aboard the ship "William and John" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 18

Contemporary Notables of the name Hilton (post 1700) +

  • Lynn Mathers Hilton (1924-2020), American politician, District President over Egypt and Sudan
  • Roy Lee Hilton (1943-2019), American football defensive end in the National Football League from 1965 through 1975
  • John David Hilton (1950-2017), American Major League Baseball third baseman for the San Diego Padres (1972-1975), Frederick Keys manager in 1997
  • John Hilton (1942-2017), American National Football League tight end who played from 1965 to 1973
  • Eric Michael Hilton (1933-2016), American heir, hotelier and philanthropist, son of Conrad Hilton
  • Richard Howard "Rick" Hilton (b. 1955), American entrepreneur and hotelier, Chairman and co-founder of Hilton & Hyland
  • William Barron Hilton I (b. 1927), American business magnate, socialite, and hotel heir, former co-chairman of the Hilton Hotels chain
  • Conrad Nicholson "Nicky" Hilton Jr. (1926-1969), American socialite, hotel heir, businessman, and Trans World Airlines (TWA) director
  • Paris Hilton (b. 1981), American television personality, co-heir to the Hilton hotel fortune
  • Conrad Nicholson Hilton (1887-1979), American businessman and investor, founder of Hilton Hotels
  • ... (Another 16 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Halifax Explosion
  • Mrs. Annie May  Hilton (1891-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 19
HMS Hood
  • Mr. Albert F Hilton (b. 1918), English Stoker 1st Class serving for the Royal Navy from Brighton, Sussex, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 20
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Eric Ernest Hilton (b. 1918), British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 21
RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. George Percival Hilton, English First Waiter from Liscard, Cheshire, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 22
USS Arizona
  • Mr. Wilson Woodrow Hilton, American Gunner's Mate First Class working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 23

Suggested Readings for the name Hilton +

  • Blue Ridge Heritage: Burnett, Branscome, Hylton (also Hilton), Cox, Slaughter, and Related Families by Dorothy Burnett Peterson.
  • Hylton-Hilton History by Ernest Hilton.
  1. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  5. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  6. 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)
  7. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  8. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Ann voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1809 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/ann/1809
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
  10. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Adamant voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1821 with 144 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/adamant/1821
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th April 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
  12. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SOMERSETSHIRE 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Somersetshire.htm
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 4th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  15. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  17. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's. Retrieved 23rd September 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  18. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's (Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  19. Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
  20. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  21. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
  22. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
  23. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
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