Contents [hide]

Leighton History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Leighton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The roots of the Anglo-Saxon name Leighton come from when the family resided in the place called Leighton which had various locations in England including Huntingdon, Salop (Shropshire), Bedford, North Riding of Yorkshire and Cheshire. This Habitation name was originally derived from the Old English word Leac-tun, which referred to the homestead where leeks were grown.

Leyton is an area of north-east London, part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest in Essex. In this case, the name means "settlement on the River Lea" and was also known until 1921 as "Low Leyton" and also included Leytonstone. It dates back to the Domesday Book, when it was called Leintun at that time. 1

Early Origins of the Leighton family

The surname Leighton was first found in Shropshire, where "the Leightons are stated to have been seated at Leighton in this county prior to the Conquest: Domesday has 'Rainald (vicecom') ten' Lestone; Leuui tenuit temp. Reg. Edw.' Hence there can be no doubt the name Lestone, i.e. Lewi's-town, now Leighton was derived. " 2

Today Leighton is named Leighton and Eaton Constantine. Later in Huntingdon, Roger de Leyton and Clement de Leyton were listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls listed Henry de Leyton in Buckinghamshire. 3

As one would expect, Leighton in Cheshire was at one time held by the family. "At the time of the Domesday Survey this place belonged to Robert de Rodelent, after whose death it was given to the barons of Montalt, of whom it was held by the Leighton family." 4 Today Leaton is a small village in the parish of Pimhill in Shropshire.

Early History of the Leighton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Leighton research. Another 170 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1391, 1525, 1530, 1549, 1565, 1570, 1591, 1593, 1609, 1610, 1611, 1614, 1622, 1653, 1661, 1662, 1671, 1674, 1684, 1693, 1705 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Leighton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Leighton Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Leighton has been recorded under many different variations, including Leighton, Layton, Laton and others.

Early Notables of the Leighton family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Sir Brian Leighton
Sir Edward Leighton (by 1525-1593), an English politician, High Sheriff of Montgomeryshire for 1549 and 1591
Sir Thomas Leighton (c.1530-1610), an English soldier and politician who served as the Governor of Guernsey and Jersey from 1570 to 1609
Sir William Leighton (c. 1565-1622), an Elizabethan composer and editor who published The Teares and Lamentatacions of a Sorrowfull Soule (1614)
Robert Leighton (1611-1684), Scottish prelate and classical scholar, Bishop of Dunblane (1661-1671), Archbishop of Glasgow (1671-1674), and Principal of the University of Edinburgh (1653-1662)

Leighton Ranking

In the United States, the name Leighton is the 3,895^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Leighton family to Ireland

Some of the Leighton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Leighton migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Leighton or a variant listed above:

Leighton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Leighton, who arrived in Virginia in 1664 6
Thomas Leighton, who arrived in New England in 1672 6

Leighton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Agnes Leighton, who settled in Maryland in 1726
Richard Leighton, who settled in Maryland in 1726
Sarah Leighton, who landed in New York, NY in 1743 6
John Leighton, who landed in New York, NY in 1743 6
Mr. Leighton, who arrived in New York, NY in 1754 6

Leighton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles Leighton, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 6
James Leighton, who arrived in San Francisco with his wife in 1850
A. Leighton, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States, in 1893
A. Leighton, aged 30, who landed in America, in 1895

Leighton Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Albert Leighton, aged 51, who immigrated to America, in 1924

Leighton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Leighton Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Elizth Leighton, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1774
Francis Leighton, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1774
Frans Leighton, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1774

Leighton migration to Australia +

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

Leighton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Leighton, (Jack the Miller), (b. 1769), aged 34, English miller who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1826 7
Robert Leighton, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Agamemnon" on April 22, 1820, settling in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. Abraham Leighton, English convict who was convicted in Shropshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bardaster" on 7th September 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
Fred Leighton, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Bussorah Merchant" in 1848 10
William Leighton, aged 26, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Fitzjames"

Leighton 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:

Leighton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Leighton, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
William Leighton, aged 36, a carpenter, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
Sarah Leighton, aged 34, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
George Leighton, aged 1, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" in 1842
Henry Leighton, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Black Eagle" in 1861 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Leighton (post 1700) +

George N. Leighton (b. 1912), retired American jurist
George Neves Leighton (1912-2018), born George Neves Leitão, an American jurist, Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (1986-1987)
William Leighton (1852-1919), American Republican politician, Alger County Road Commissioner; Member of Michigan State House of Representatives from Schoolcraft District, 1917-19; Died in office 1919
Thomas K. Leighton, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 14th District, 1994 (T.B.A. Green), 1996 (Independence); Marijuana Reform Candidate for Mayor of New York City, New York, 2001
Robert J. Leighton, American politician, Candidate for Minnesota State Senate 5th District, 1958
Thomas B. Leighton, American politician, Member of New Hampshire State Senate 1st District, 1837-38, 1839-40
Oscar Leighton, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Farmington, 1938
Max W. Leighton, American Republican politician, Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Dover 1st Ward, 1956; Member of New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Dover 1st Ward; Elected 1956
Moses R. Leighton, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Augusta, Maine, 1893-94
Kingsley T. Leighton, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from North Haven; Elected 1946
... (Another 34 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Leighton family +

USS Arizona

Mr. Lindsay R. Leighton, American Water tender First Class working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he survived the sinking 12

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"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 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Agamemnon voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1820 with 179 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/agamemnon/1820
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bardaster
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BUSSORAH MERCHANT 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848BussorahMerchant.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html