Horton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Scotland 


The roots of the Anglo-Saxon name Horton come from when the family resided in one of the many places called Horton; settlements of this name are particularly common in Yorkshire. The surname Horton belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

There are two possible origins of the name: "dirty or muddy farmstead," from the Old English "horu" + "tun" and "hill frequented by harts or stags," from the Old English "heorot" + "dun." 1

Early Origins of the Horton family

The surname Horton was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Thornton, a chapelry, in the parish and union of Bradford, wapentake of Morley. "Thornton Hall, the property of the Horton family, an ancient quadrangular structure of great size, and formerly of considerable importance, is now occupied as farm-buildings and cottages." 2

Over in Horton, in Northumberland another branch of the family was found. "Possessions were anciently held here by the knightly family of Horton," 2 and at Horton in the West Riding of Yorkshire, more early records of the family were found. "In the reign of Henry II., the manor was granted by Robert de Lacy to the ancestor of the Hortons." 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had the following entries for the family: Thomas de Horton in Devon; William de Horton in Kent; and Adam de Horton in Cambridgeshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Emma de Horton; and Dionisia de Horton. 3

Some of the family were found in Scotland in early times: "Pieres de Hortone of Edinburghshire who rendered homage in 1296 derived his name from one of the many places named Horton in England, perhaps from one of the three places of the name in Yorkshire." 4

Early History of the Horton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Horton research. Another 235 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1210, 1296, 1603, 1649, 1660, 1673, 1696, 1714, 1756, 1764, 1784, 1806, 1821, 1823 and 1841 are included under the topic Early Horton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Horton Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Horton has been recorded under many different variations, including Horton, Horten and others.

Early Notables of the Horton family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Horton World Ranking

In the United States, the name Horton is the 278th most popular surname with an estimated 96,993 people with that name. 6 However, in Australia, the name Horton is ranked the 565th most popular surname with an estimated 6,806 people with that name. 7 And in New Zealand, the name Horton is the 755th popular surname with an estimated 964 people with that name. 8 The United Kingdom ranks Horton as 433rd with 14,860 people. 9


Horton migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Horton or a variant listed above:

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

Horton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Horton Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Horton migration to Australia +

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

Horton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Horton 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:

Horton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Horton 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. 19
Horton Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Horton (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Horton +
Fastest Delivery Possible

Digital Products on Checkout, all other products filled in 1 business day

Money Back Guarantee

Yes, all products 100% Guraranteed

BBB A+ Rating

The Best Rating possible

Secure Online Payment

Entire site uses SSL / Secure Certificate