Norton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 
  Scotland 


In ancient Scotland, the ancestors of the Norton family were part of a tribe called the Picts. The name Norton is derived from the Pictish name Nechtan. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Neachdainn, which means son of Nechtan.

Early Origins of the Norton family

The surname Norton was first found in Argyllshire (Gaelic erra Ghaidheal), the region of western Scotland corresponding roughly with the ancient Kingdom of Dál Riata, in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Argyll and Bute, where they held lands at Lochow and Loch Fyne, called Glenera, Glenshira, and Glen Fyne.

Early History of the Norton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Norton research. Another 193 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1247, 1431, 1438, 1565, 1614, 1627 and 1691 are included under the topic Early Norton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Norton Spelling Variations

The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Norton has been spelled MacNaughton, McNachton, MacNaghten, MacNechten, Notton, Norton and many more.

Early Notables of the Norton family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

Norton World Ranking

In the United States, the name Norton is the 466th most popular surname with an estimated 59,688 people with that name. 1 However, in Australia, the name Norton is ranked the 397th most popular surname with an estimated 9,354 people with that name. 2 And in New Zealand, the name Norton is the 404th popular surname with an estimated 1,627 people with that name. 3 The United Kingdom ranks Norton as 474th with 13,618 people. 4

Migration of the Norton family to Ireland

Some of the Norton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Norton migration to the United States +

This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Norton:

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

Norton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

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

Norton migration to Australia +

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

Norton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Norton 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:

Norton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Norton 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. 15
Norton Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Norton (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Norton +
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