Minto History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Minto surname was a habitational name taken from a place so named, in Shropshire. The placed name Minton is derived from the Welsh word "mynydd" meaning "hill," and the Old English word "tun," meaning "enclosure," or "settlement." 1

Early Origins of the Minto family

The surname Minto was first found in Shropshire at Minton, a township, in the parish and union of Church-Stretton, hundred of Munslow. 2 The place name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first listed as Munetune. 3 There is another Minton in England. "Probably also some smaller spot in co. Northumberland. But this family has sprung from Shropshire." 4 The earliest record of the family was Walter de Muneton who was listed in the Select Pleas of the Forest for Shropshire in 1209. A few years later, Richard de Minton was listed in the Assize Rolls of Shropshire in 1221. 5

Early History of the Minto family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Minto research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1765 and 1836 are included under the topic Early Minto History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Minto Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Minton, Mineton, Mindton, Mindtown and others.

Early Notables of the Minto family

Distinguished members of the family include

Thomas Minton (1765-1836), English potter, founder of Thomas Minton & Sons in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, probably best known for his Willow pattern...

Minto Ranking

In the United States, the name Minto is the 17,652^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Minto migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Minto Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Walter Minto, who landed in America in 1786 7

Minto Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Harry M Minto, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1902 7

Minto migration to Australia +

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

Minto Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Minto, English convict who was convicted in Northumberland, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Caledonia" in 19th June 1822, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Minto (post 1700) +

John Minto IV (1822-1915), American pioneer from Wylam, England who settled as a prominent sheep farmer in Oregon and became a four-time Member of the Oregon House of Representatives (1862, 1868, 1880 and 1890)
Harry Percy Minto (1864-1915), American Superintendent of the Oregon State Penitentiary (1914-1915), killed by an escaped inmate
Brian Matthew Minto (b. 1975), American professional heavyweight and cruiserweight boxer with 36 career wins
John W. Minto, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Portland, Oregon, 1904-09 9
Dorothy Minto (1886-1957), English actor on the London stage between 1905 and the early 1930s
Scott Christopher Minto (b. 1971), English former footballer from Heswall
Mrs. Jennifer Minto M.B.E., British Chair for Islay WW100 Group, was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to World War One Commemoration and to the community in Islay, Argyll 10
Bruce Minto, Scottish co-founder of Dickson Minto, a leading Scottish law firm in 1985
William Minto (1845-1893), Scottish man of letters from Auchintoul, Aberdeenshire
Francesco Minto (b. 1987), Italian rugby union player, member of the Italian national team
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Minto Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Pro Deo et patria
Motto Translation: For God and country.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/caledonia
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists