Loton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Of all the Anglo-Saxon names to come from Britain, Loton is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in the village of Lawton which was in both Cheshire and Herefordshire. This place-name was originally derived from the Old English words hlaw tun, which means that the original bearers of the surname lived in the farm that was located on the hill.

Early Origins of the Loton family

The surname Loton was first found in Cheshire where the parish named Laughton dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Lestone 1. Church Lawton is a small village and civil parish in Cheshire East and was recorded in the Domesday Book as Lautune. There are at least three other listings of places now named Laughton in the Domesday Book: Lachestone in Leicester, Lastone in Yorkshire and finally Loctone in Lincolnshire. The latter is believed to have been derived from the Old English words "loc" + "tun" and meant "enclosure that can be locked" 2

The parish of Lowton in Lancashire "gave name to a family who subsequently adopted the surname of Kenyon from their possessions in a neighbouring township." 3

Lorton is a parish, in the union of Cockermouth, Allerdale ward above Derwent in Cumberland. It comprises two small villages Low Lorton and High Lorton and dates back to c. 1150 when it was known as Loretona. It probably meant "farmstead on a stream called Hlora" from the Viking river name meaning "roaring one" + and the Old English word "tun." 2

Early History of the Loton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Loton research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1250, 1660, 1670, 1693, 1721 and 1723 are included under the topic Early Loton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Loton Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Loton has been spelled many different ways, including Lawton, Laughton, Loughmane and others.

Early Notables of the Loton family

Another 50 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Loton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Loton family to Ireland

Some of the Loton 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.

Loton migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Lotons to arrive in North America:

Loton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Richard Loton, who arrived in America in 1760-1763 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Loton (post 1700) +

James Loton Flanagan (1925-2015), American electrical engineer and academic, Vice President for Research at Rutgers University until 2004

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)
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)