Show ContentsTeton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Teton first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in the township of Tatton found in the parish of Rostherne in the county of Cheshire. The surname Teton is a habitation name that was originally derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. The surname originated as a means of identifying individuals from a particular area. In the Middle Ages people often assumed the name of the place that they originally lived as their surname during the course of travel.

Early Origins of the Teton family

The surname Teton was first found in Cheshire at Tatton, a small civil parish now in the Borough of Cheshire East. "Robert Tatton of Kenworthy, in Northended, who married the heiress of William de Withenshaw, alias Massy, about the latter end of the reign of Edward III, is the first proved ancestor of this family, but there is reason to believe that he was descended from the much more ancient house of the name who were seated at Tatton in the twelve century. " 1

Tatton Park is a historic estate just north of the town of Knutsford and is home to Tatton Hall and Tatton Old Hall, a manor house which dates back to the 16th century. "The manor passed with Etchells, in Northen parish, and became the property of the Tatton family." 2

Early History of the Teton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Teton research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1606, 1643, 1645, 1646, 1659, 1669, 1736 and 1809 are included under the topic Early Teton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Teton Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Teton has appeared include Tatton, Tatten, Tattin, Tattone, Tattan, Taton, Taten, Tayton, Taytton, Taitten, Teyton, Teitton, Tetton, Tettin, Tetten, Tettan, Taytone, Teytone, Tattons, Tattens, Tattins, Tattans, Teytons and many more.

Early Notables of the Teton family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Robert Tatton (1606-1669), High Sheriff of Chester between 1645 and 1646, a supporter of King Charles I in the English Civil War, Robert is perhaps best known for the ultimately unsuccessful defence of...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Teton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Teton migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Teton arrived in North America very early:

Teton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Nath Teton, who arrived in Virginia in 1698 3


  1. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. 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)


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