Clinton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  Scotland 
  Ireland 
  England 


Though hidden in the annals of history, the chronicles of Scotland reveal the early records of the Norman surname Clinton which ranks as one of the oldest. The history of the name is interwoven within the colorful plaid of Scottish history and is an intrinsic part of the heritage of this ancient nation.

Early Origins of the Clinton family

The surname Clinton was first found in Oxfordshire, where they were recorded as a family of great antiquity seated at Glinton with manor and estates in that shire. They are said to be descended from Reinbaldus who accompanied the Conqueror into England.

Geoffrey de Clinton (fl. 1130), was "Chamberlain and Treasurer to Henry I; he appears to have been the founder of the great Clinton family, and was probably the creator of his own fortunes, though attempts have been made to show that he was descended from William de Tankerville, chamberlain of Normandy. His name seems to occur for the first time in a charter of Henry I to Westminster Abbey - a document that cannot, from the names of the co-signatories, be dated later than 1123. " 1

Sire Johan de Clinton (d. 1315) assumed his surname from Glinton anciently written Clinton. The peerage of Baron Clinton was created for him in 1298. 2 This began a long line of Barons Clinton including: John de Clinton, 2nd Baron Clinton (d. c. 1335); John de Clinton, 3rd Baron Clinton (d. 1398); William de Clinton, 4th Baron Clinton (1378-1431); John de Clinton, 5th Baron Clinton (1410-1464) and others.

Another branch of the family was found at Hunton in Kent. "The manor [of Hunton] afterwards passed to the Gyffords, and in the reign of Edward III. to the family of Clinton, of whose ancient mansion, the site, encompassed by a moat, is still visible near the church." 3

Kenilworth in Warwickshire had a particular significance to the family in early times. "After the Conquest, Henry I. bestowed the manor upon Geoffrey de Clinton, his treasurer and chamberlain, who built the church, and founded a priory for Canons regular of the order of St. Augustine, which he dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. He erected the earlier portion of that stately Castle for the remains of which the town is principally distinguished." 3

To the far south in Devon, in the Domesday Book of 1086, "the park of Heanton Satchville belongs to Lord Clinton, whose seat is in the adjoining parish of Huish, once possessed by the bearers of that ancient name." 4

Early History of the Clinton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Clinton research. Another 69 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1330, 1378, 1386, 1394, 1397, 1404, 1414, 1415, 1431, 1512, 1572, 1585, 1624, 1646, 1648, 1657, 1686, 1690, 1729, 1731, 1743, 1753, 1761, 1773 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Clinton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Clinton Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Clinton, Glinton, Clintone and others.

Early Notables of the Clinton family

Notable among the family at this time was

Clinton Ranking

In the United States, the name Clinton is the 1,706th most popular surname with an estimated 17,409 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Clinton family to Ireland

Some of the Clinton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 220 words (16 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Clinton migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

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

Clinton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

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

Clinton migration to Australia +

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

Clinton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Clinton 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:

Clinton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Clinton migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 12
Clinton Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Clinton (post 1700) +
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