Arrington History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the bearers of the Arrington family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found at a local named Harrington, in Cumberland. Today, Harrington is on the Cumbrian coast with a population of about 5000. There is a small hamlet named Harrington in Lincolnshire and a small village and civil parish in Northamptonshire so named. The name was derived from the Old English Hoeferingtun which meant "settlement associated with Hoefer" or "settlement on stony ground". 1

Early Origins of the Arrington family

The surname Arrington was first found in Cumberland, where the first record of the name was Robert de Heverington in the reign of Richard I (1189-1199). William de Harinton was listed in the Assize Rolls on Lancashire in 1202 and Richard de Harington was listed in the Rotuli Hundredorum of 1274. John Harington was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. 2 A few years later, Ricardus de Heryngton was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax records of 1379. 3

Early History of the Arrington family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Arrington research. Another 154 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1275, 1328, 1347, 1357, 1363, 1406, 1523, 1539, 1560, 1607, 1611, 1612, 1613, 1627, 1646, 1653, 1654, 1655, 1656, 1664, 1674, 1677, 1680, 1693 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Arrington History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Arrington Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Arrington include Harrington, Harington and others.

Early Notables of the Arrington family

Distinguished members of the family include

John Harington, 1st Baron Harington (d. 1347); John Harington, 2nd Baron Harington (1328-1363); Robert Harington, 3rd Baron Harington (1357-1406); Sir James Harrington or Harington, 3rd Baronet of Rid...
William Harrington (d. 1523), was an English divine, son of William Harrington, of Newbigging, Cumberland. 4
Sir John Harington (or Harrington) (1560-1612), of Kelston, was an English courtier, author and translator, popularly known as the inventor of the flush toilet. He became prominent at Queen Elizabeth...
John Harrington, first Lord Harington of Exton (d. 1613), was the eldest son of Sir James Harington, kt., of Exton Hall, Rutlandshire. 4
James Harrington or Harington (1611-1677), was a political theorist, eldest son of Sir Sapcotes Harrington of Rand, Lincolnshire, by his first wife, Jane, daughter of Sir William Samwell of Upton, Nor...
James Harrington (1664-1693), was an English lawyer and poet, son of James Harrington of Waltham Abbey, Essex. 4

Arrington Ranking

In the United States, the name Arrington is the 1,128^th most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Arrington family to Ireland

Some of the Arrington 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.

Arrington migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Arrington or a variant listed above:

Arrington Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Elizabeth Arrington, aged 28, who settled in America, in 1905
Mrs. Peter Arrington, aged 30, who settled in St. Louis Missouri, in 1907
Alice Arrington, aged 33, who landed in America, in 1910
Lessie Arrington, aged 22, who settled in Beaufort, N.C., in 1913
Olivia G. Arrington, aged 38, who immigrated to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1913
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Arrington (post 1700) +

Marvin Stephens Arrington Sr. (1941-2023), American judge in the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia and a politician in the city of Atlanta
Buddy Arrington (1938-2022), American NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver
Richard Arrington Jr. (b. 1934), American politician, the first African American mayor of the city of Birmingham
Richard Cameron 'Rick" Arrington (1947-2021), American professional football player who was a quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (1970-1972)
Joey Arrington (b. 1956), American NASCAR driver
Richard Cameron “Rick” Arrington (b. 1947), former American football quarterback
Kyle Chandler Arrington (b. 1986), American football cornerback
Robert L. Arrington (b. 1938), American philosopher
Johnathan Jerone "J. J." Arrington (b. 1983), American football running back
Adrian Jarrard Arrington (b. 1985), American football wide receiver
... (Another 16 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/