Eatherton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Eatherton

What does the name Eatherton mean?

The surname Eatherton is a name whose history on English soil dates back to the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066. The Eatherton family lived in Hetherington in Northumberland. The "E" prefix, as in the name Etherington, is a shortened form of the name and has the same phonetic sound. 1

Early Origins of the Eatherton family

The surname Eatherton was first found in Northumberland at Hetherington. This ancient Saxon village was derived from the word "haeth", meaning a heath and "tun" a settlement, thus "the farm of the heath." 2

Edmund de Hetherynton was listed in the Assize Rolls of Northumberland in 1316. 3 But before that, Richard de Hetherington was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1298 eighteen years before. 3

"The Hetheringtons, who have their present home in Carlisle and its neighbourhood, belong to an ancient border - family that often produced persons of note; in the reign of Henry VIII. George Hethrington, as king's bailiff, "kept watch and ward" in the parish of Kirklinton, on the west marches (H.). Ambrose Hetherington was vicar of Kendal in the reign of Elizabeth." 4

Early History of the Eatherton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Eatherton research. Another 135 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1100 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Eatherton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Eatherton Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Etherington, Ethrington, Ethlington, Hetherington, Hetherton and many more.

Early Notables of the Eatherton family

More information is included under the topic Early Eatherton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Eatherton family to Ireland

Some of the Eatherton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 107 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Eatherton family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Jon Etherington sailed to Barbados in 1634. Later he moved his family to the nearby island of St. Christopher. In 1771 Terrence Etherington sailed into the harbour of New York. Robert Etherington was to join him three years later in 1774. Later members of the Etherington family name were to join other colonists who settled in New England..

Sources +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.