Kelton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Kelton family

The surname Kelton was first found in Shropshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the 13th century when they held estates in that shire.

Early History of the Kelton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kelton research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1241, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1600 and 1982 are included under the topic Early Kelton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kelton 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 Kelton include Kelton, Keltone, Kellton, Keilton, Kilton and many more.

Early Notables of the Kelton family

Distinguished members of the family include

the Kelton family of Shrewsbury

Kelton Ranking

In the United States, the name Kelton is the 8,283^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Kelton 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 Kelton or a variant listed above:

Kelton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Kelton, who settled in Boston in 1650
Thomas Kelton, who landed in New England in 1651-1652 2
Thomas Kelton, who sailed to Boston in 1651

Kelton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Kelton, who landed in North Carolina in 1774 2

Kelton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Robert Kelton, who settled in Galveston, TX in 1839
James Kelton, who arrived in San Francisco in 1850
James Kelton, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 2
Charles H. Kelton, who arrived in San Francisco in 1852
John S Kelton, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1878 2

Kelton migration to Australia +

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

Kelton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Kelton, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Orleana" in 1839 3
Catherine Kelton, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Orleana" in 1839 3
William Kelton, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Orleana" in 1839 3
Elizabeth Kelton, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Orleana" in 1839 3
Arthur Kelton, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Charles Kerr" in 1840 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Kelton (post 1700) +

John C. Kelton (1828-1893), American officer in the United States Army
Aaron Kelton (b. 1974), American college football coach
Gene Kelton (1953-2010), American guitarist, harmonica player and singer-songwriter
Elmer Stephen Kelton (1926-2009), American journalist and writer
David Kelton (b. 1979), American professional baseball player
Pert Kelton (1907-1968), American actress who appeared mainly in comedies and musicals
James Kelton, American politician, Member of Pennsylvania State Senate, 1821-26 5
Frank P. S. Kelton (1880-1928), American politician, Mayor of Bay City, Michigan, 1915-17 5
F. E. P. Kelton, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1916 5
F. Kelton, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arizona, 1912 5
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ORLEANA 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Orleana.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CHARLES KERR 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840CharlesKerr.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html