Show ContentsNolton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Nolton is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Nolton family lived in the township of Knowlton, Kent, from whence their name is taken.

Early Origins of the Nolton family

The surname Nolton was first found in Kent where they held a family seat from ancient times, and were granted the lands by King William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. They were conjecturally descended from Thurstan, a Norman noble, who held the lands of Knowlton, originally spelt Chenoltone, from the Bishop of Bayeux.

Early History of the Nolton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nolton research. Another 33 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1692, 1728 and 1782 are included under the topic Early Nolton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nolton Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Knowltone, Knowlten, Nowlton, Nolton, Knowelden and others.

Early Notables of the Nolton family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Knowlton (1692-1782), English gardener and botanist who was superintendent at an early age of Dr. Sherard at Eltham, Kent...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Nolton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Nolton migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Nolton or a variant listed above:

Nolton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Nolton, who settled in Virginia in 1637
Nolton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • James Nolton, who settled in Potomac Maryland in 1731
Nolton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Nolton, who settled in Texas in 1846
  • H D Nolton, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 1


  1. 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)


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