Carrington History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Scotland 


The origins of the Carrington name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived at Carenton, a port town, and Chateau in Normandy. 1 It is thought that the first of the name in Britain was Norman Hamo de Carenton of Normandy, who came to Britain as a young attendant to his uncle at Hastings in 1066 A.D., and was rewarded for his services by grants of land in county of Chester.

Carrington, or Primrose is a parish in Edinburghshire, Scotland containing with the villages of Thornton and Whitefaugh and Carrington. 2

Early Origins of the Carrington family

The surname Carrington was first found in Cheshire at Carrington, a township and chapelry, in the parish of Bowdon, union of Altrincham, hundred of Bucklow. "The manor was held for more than three centuries by a family of the same name." 3

"A moiety of the manor [at Ashton upon Mersey] was held for many generations by the Carringtons, and passed by a female heir of that family to the Booths." 3

There are two other places named Carrington in Britain: in Lincolnshire which was "first recorded in 1812, and named after Robert Smith, Lord Carrington (1752-1838), who had lands there"; 4 and in Nottinghamshire where "this village, which is of recent origin, consists partly of handsome villas, occupied by merchants and lace manufacturers, who have warehouses in Nottingham." 3

Now part of Greater Manchester, Carrington dates back to the 12th century when it was first listed as Carrintona and possibly meant "estate associated with a man called Cara," from the Old English personal name + "-ing" + "tun." 4

Some of the first record of the family include: Thomas de Karington who was listed in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1219; and John de Carrington found in the Assize Rolls for Cheshire in 1294. 5

In Scotland, the name came from the "lands of Carrington in East Lothian. Wautier de Keringtone, parson of the church of Dunnotre, rendered homage in 1296 [to King Edward I of England]." 6

Early History of the Carrington family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Carrington research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1180, 1219, 1294, 1296, 1796 and 1868 are included under the topic Early Carrington History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Carrington Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Carrington were recorded, including Carrington, Carington, Kerrington, Karrington, Kerington, Carinton and many more.

Early Notables of the Carrington family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Carrington Ranking

In the United States, the name Carrington is the 2,272nd most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 7


Carrington migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Carrington family emigrate to North America:

Carrington Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Carrington Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Carrington Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Carrington migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Carrington Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Carrington Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Carrington migration to Australia +

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

Carrington Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Carrington migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Carrington Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Carrington (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Carrington +
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