Show ContentsHylton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Hylton date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in the parish of Hilton found in several locations including Derby, Dorset, Durham, Staffordshire and the North Riding of Yorkshire. The surname Hylton 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 Hylton lived in the hill-town.

Early Origins of the Hylton family

The surname Hylton 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 Hylton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hylton 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 Hylton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hylton Spelling Variations

Hylton has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Hylton have been found, including Hilton, Hylton and others.

Early Notables of the Hylton family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • Robert Hylton, 1st Baron Hylton (d. 1322)
  • Alexander Hylton, 2nd Baron Hylton (d. 1360)
  • Robert Hylton, de jure 3rd Baron Hylton (1340-1377)
  • Sir William Hylton, de jure 4th Baron Hylton (1356-1435)
  • Sir Robert Hylton, de jure 5th Baron Hylton (1385-1447)
  • William Hylton, de jure 6th Baron Hylton (d. 1457)
  • Sir William Hylton, de jure 7th Baron Hylton (1451-1500)
  • Sir William Hylton, de jure 8th Baron Hylton (d. 1535)
  • Sir Thomas Hylton, de jure 9th Baron Hylton (d. 1560)

Hylton Ranking

In the United States, the name Hylton is the 4,599th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. [3]

Ireland Migration of the Hylton family to Ireland

Some of the Hylton 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 Hylton migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Hyltons to arrive on North American shores:

Hylton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Henry Hylton, aged 14, British settler who arrived in New York in 1839 aboard the ship "St. James" [4]
  • Mr. Hylton, aged 36, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Crescent City" in 1850 [4]
  • Wm Hylton, aged 36, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Jane" in 1851 [4]
  • Mary Hylton, aged 27, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Jane" in 1851 [4]
  • Harriet Hylton, aged 7, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Jane" in 1851 [4]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Hylton Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Ellen Wilhemina Hylton, who landed in Alabama in 1927 [5]

Australia Hylton migration to Australia +

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

Hylton Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century
  • Geoffrey C. Hylton, who arrived in Sydney, Australia in 1929 aboard the ship "Largs Bay" [6]
  • Cyril G Hylton, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia in 1929 aboard the ship "Chitral" [6]

Contemporary Notables of the name Hylton (post 1700) +

  • James Harvey Hylton (1934-2018), American stock car racing driver, two-time winner in NASCAR Winston Cup Series, 1966 NASCAR Grand National Rookie of the Year
  • Tracy W. Hylton (b. 1922), American politician, Member of West Virginia State Senate 9th District, 1965-72, 1987-90 [7]
  • Kenneth N. Hylton, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Judge, Michigan Court of Appeals 1st District, 1964; Vice-chair of Michigan Democratic Party, 1969-73 [7]
  • J. R. Hylton, American Democratic Party politician, Wyoming Democratic State Chair, 1923-27; Member of Democratic National Committee from Wyoming, 1939 [7]
  • George P. Hylton Jr., American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Virginia, 1956, 1960 [7]
  • Gary H. Hylton, American politician, Mayor of Logan, West Virginia, 1983 [7]
  • C. D. Hylton, American Republican politician, Candidate for West Virginia State Senate 10th District, 1974 [7]
  • Jane Hylton (1927-1979), born Audrey Gwendolene Clark, an English actress who appeared in 30 films
  • Javine Dionne Hylton (b. 1981), known simply as Javine, an English R&B singer
  • John Greenhalgh "Jack" Hylton (1892-1965), English band leader and impresario
  • ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

St. Francis Dam
  • Mr. Orville Allen Hylton, (Andy Wilson), American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928


  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. Ellis Island Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  5. 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)
  6. national Archives of Australia retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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