Atinton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Atinton is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in one of several places named Addington in the counties of Devon, Kent, Surrey, Northamptonshire, and Buckinghamshire. The manor in Addington in Surrey has an interesting story to tell. "The manor is held by the singular tenure of making and presenting to the king, at his coronation, a mess of pottage called mewpergynon; subject to the performance of which, a carucate of land here was granted to Tezelin, cook to William the Conqueror." 1

Early Origins of the Atinton family

The surname Atinton was first found in any of the aforementioned counties in Britain. Due to the rather large number of villages and parishes named Addington, one would presume that the name was derived from a local feature such as a hill or valley, but this in not the case. Literally the place name means "estate associated with a man called Eadda or Aeddi," from the Old English personal name + "-ing" + "tun." 2

Indeed there are at least four listings of the place name in the Domesday Book of 1086: Edintone (Buckinghamshire); Eddintone (Greater London); Eddintune (Kent); and Edintone (Northamptonshire.) 3

Some of the first listings of the surname include: William de Adinton in the Pipe Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1176; Hugh de Adinton in the Assize Rolls of 1202; and Gilbert de Adintun who was listed in Surrey in 1226. 4

Early History of the Atinton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Atinton research. Another 97 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1644 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Atinton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Atinton Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Atinton family name include Addington, Adington, Adinton, Addinton and others.

Early Notables of the Atinton family

Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Atinton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Atinton family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Atinton surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Jonathon Addington who settled in Virginia in 1639; Benjamin also settled in Virginia in 1663; Laurence Addington in Barbados 1684.

The Atinton 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: Libertas sub Rege Pio
Motto Translation: Liberty under a pious King.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)