Laiton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The history of the Laiton family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in the place called Leighton which had various locations in England including Huntingdon, Salop (Shropshire), Bedford, North Riding of Yorkshire and Cheshire. This Habitation name was originally derived from the Old English word Leac-tun, which referred to the homestead where leeks were grown.

Leyton is an area of north-east London, part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest in Essex. In this case, the name means "settlement on the River Lea" and was also known until 1921 as "Low Leyton" and also included Leytonstone. It dates back to the Domesday Book, when it was called Leintun at that time. 1

Early Origins of the Laiton family

The surname Laiton was first found in Shropshire, where "the Leightons are stated to have been seated at Leighton in this county prior to the Conquest: Domesday has 'Rainald (vicecom') ten' Lestone; Leuui tenuit temp. Reg. Edw.' Hence there can be no doubt the name Lestone, i.e. Lewi's-town, now Leighton was derived. " 2

Today Leighton is named Leighton and Eaton Constantine. Later in Huntingdon, Roger de Leyton and Clement de Leyton were listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls listed Henry de Leyton in Buckinghamshire. 3

As one would expect, Leighton in Cheshire was at one time held by the family. "At the time of the Domesday Survey this place belonged to Robert de Rodelent, after whose death it was given to the barons of Montalt, of whom it was held by the Leighton family." 4 Today Leaton is a small village in the parish of Pimhill in Shropshire.

Early History of the Laiton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Laiton research. Another 170 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1391, 1525, 1530, 1549, 1565, 1570, 1591, 1593, 1609, 1610, 1611, 1614, 1622, 1653, 1661, 1662, 1671, 1674, 1684, 1693, 1705 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Laiton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Laiton Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Laiton include Leighton, Layton, Laton and others.

Early Notables of the Laiton family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Brian Leighton; Sir Edward Leighton (by 1525-1593), an English politician, High Sheriff of Montgomeryshire for 1549 and 1591; Sir Thomas Leighton (c.1530-1610), an English soldier and politician who served as the Governor of Guernsey and Jersey from 1570 to 1609; Sir William Leighton (c. 1565-1622), an Elizabethan composer and editor who published The Teares and Lamentatacions of a...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Laiton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Laiton family to Ireland

Some of the Laiton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Laiton migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Laiton or a variant listed above:

Laiton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jose M Laiton, aged 24, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1827 5

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)