Henton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Henton name come from when the Anglo-Saxon tribes ruled over Britain. The name Henton was originally derived from a family having lived in either of the parishes named Henton, in the counties of Oxfordshire and Somerset.

The Oxfordshire liberty dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first listed as Hentone. 1 The Somerset parish actually dates back further to Saxon times when it was known as Hentun in 1065. Both literally meant "farmstead where hens are kept," from the Old English "henn" + "tun." 2

Early Origins of the Henton family

The surname Henton was first found in Hampshire where Adam de Henton was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1200. Later, Laurence de Henton was found in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1258. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two listings of the family: William de Henton, Oxfordshire; and Alex, de Henton, Somerset. 4

Again in Somerset, we found two more early entries for the family: Hugh de Hentone; and Walter de Hentone, both were listed 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 5

Simon Henton or Heinton (fl. 1360), Dominican, was born at Henton, near Winchester, became a Dominican friar, and eventually provincial of the order in England. 6

Early History of the Henton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Henton research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1273 and 1545 are included under the topic Early Henton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Henton Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Henton include Henton, Henston, Hennton, Hentone, Heanton and others.

Early Notables of the Henton family

Distinguished members of the family include

Simon Henton of Hampshire, a 14th century Dominican Friar distinguished for his various ecclesiastical writings

Henton Ranking

In the United States, the name Henton is the 9,020^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 7

Henton migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Henton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Elias Henton, who sailed to Virginia in 1624
John Henton, who arrived in Virginia in 1652 8
Thomas Henton, who sailed to Virginia in 1655
Thomas Henton, who sailed to Virginia in 1658
Joane Henton, who sailed to Virginia in 1668
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Henton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Dorothy Henton, who landed in Virginia in 1711 8

Henton 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:

Henton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Margaret Henton, aged 24, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1840

Contemporary Notables of the name Henton (post 1700) +

John Henton (b. 1960), American actor and comedian
Willis Ryan Henton, American Bishop of Northwest Texas
George Moore Henton (1861-1924), English artist
Brian Henton (b. 1946), English former racing driver who won both 1974 British Formula Three Championships, and the Formula Two championship in 1980

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)