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Daton is one of the many names that the Normans brought with them when they conquered England in 1066. The Daton family lived in the North Riding of Yorkshire. They descended from the distinguished Norman family of Picot d'Auton, and it is from that local name, which means from Auton, that the surname derives. 1
The surname Daton was first found in Yorkshire. There are three parishes named Deighton in Yorkshire: the chapelry in the North Riding; the township in the East Riding; and the parish named Kirk Deighton in the West Riding. 2
All have the same meaning: "farmstead surrounded by a ditch," from the Old English "dic" + "tun." 3
All date back to the Domesday Book of 1086 but with very different spellings in use at that time: Dictune (North Riding); Distone (near York); and Distone (Kirk Deighton.) 4
The Dictune spelling had an impact on early rolls, Thomas and Henry de Dicton were found in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire in 1204 and later in 1259. Richard de Dyghton was listed in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1327. 5
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Daton research. Another 172 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1340 and 1419 are included under the topic Early Daton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Daton, Dayton, Deighton, Dauton and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Daton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Daton name or one of its variants:
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: