Leaton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The origins of the Leaton name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Leaton was originally derived from a family having lived 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 Leaton family

The surname Leaton 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 Leaton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Leaton 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 Leaton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Leaton Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Leaton include Leighton, Layton, Laton and others.

Early Notables of the Leaton 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...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Leaton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Leaton family to Ireland

Some of the Leaton 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.

Leaton migration to Australia +

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

Leaton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Leaton, English convict who was convicted in Lincolnshire (Holland), England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 8th July 1840, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Leaton (post 1700) +

Benjamin Leaton, American trader who lived in Fort Leaton, Texas and used it as his trading post and fortress in 1848, now known as Fort Leaton State Historic Site
Tim Leaton (b. 1983), American assistant editor, editor, and filmmaker of several short films
Anne Leaton (1932-2016), American novelist, short story writer, and poet whose works have been published in England and America and whose radio plays have been broadcast on the BBC
John C. Leaton, American politician, Village President of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, 1879-80 6

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.
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html