Heton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Heton is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in one of a variety of similarly-named places. Settlements named Heaton are in Northumberland and the West Riding of Yorkshire. Heaton Norris, Heaton under Horwich, Heaton with Oxcliffe, Great Heaton, and Little Heaton are all in Lancashire. Places called Capheaton and Kirkheaton are found in Northumberland, while settlements named Cleckheaton, Hanging Heaton, and Kirkheaton are all in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The surname Heton belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names that are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Heton family

The surname Heton was first found in West Yorkshire at Heaton, the oldest place name in England so named. The village dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Etone and literally meant "high farmstead." 1

The parish of Mirfield has an interesting story about its chapel and the family. "This place, at the time of the heptarchy, formed part of the parish of Dewsbury. It afterwards belonged to Sir John Heton, lord of the manor, whose lady, on her way to the parish church, before dawn, on Christmas Day, being attacked by robbers, and her attendant killed, the pope, on the intercession of her husband, who was then at Rome, granted permission to the family to build a chapel here, which subsequently became parochial." 2

"The manor [of Ellingham, Northumberland] in Henry III's reign, was held of the king in capite by Ranulph de Guagy; it passed in 1286 to Roger de Clifford, and in 1378 was possessed by Sir Allan de Heton, who acquired in that year great honour at the siege of Berwick." 2

Another early branch of the family was found in the parish of Emley, again the West Riding of Yorkshire. "This place belonged to the family of Heton, whose estates passed to the Saviles, and whose ancient mansion of timber frame-work, surrounded by a moat, stood in an extensive park, more than two miles in length, but which has been long divided into farms." 2

Early History of the Heton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heton research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1372, 1545, 1552 and 1609 are included under the topic Early Heton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heton Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Heton are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Heton include: Heaton, Heton and others.

Early Notables of the Heton family

Distinguished members of the family include

Martin Heaton (1552-1609), Bishop of Ely, son of George Heton of Heton Hall in the parish of Dean, Lancashire, and Joanna, the daughter of Sir Martin Bowes, Lord Mayor of London in 15453...

Migration of the Heton family to Ireland

Some of the Heton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Heton family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Heton or a variant listed above: Nathanial Heaton settled in Boston in 1620; Samuel Heaton settled in Boston in 1634; Alice and Edward Heaton settled in Virginia in 1698; Elizabeth, George, James, John, Robert, William Heaton, all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1865..

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.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print