Show ContentsOldten History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Oldten

What does the name Oldten mean?

Oldten is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in a region or farm with alder trees 1 or the farm of the great and wise warrior. 2

Early Origins of the Oldten family

The surname Oldten was first found in Northamptonshire, Wiltshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, where Alderton, parishes or various sizes are still found today. The Domesday Book of 1086 lists: Aldritine in Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire; Aldritone, Wiltshire; and Alretuna, Suffolk. 3

The first record in early rolls was that of Alexander de Alreton who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1191. Later, John de Aldrinton was found in the Assize Rolls for Worcestershire in 1221 and much later, Richard Alderton was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1525. 4

Early History of the Oldten family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oldten research. Another 24 words (2 lines of text) covering the year 1592 is included under the topic Early Oldten History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oldten Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Oldten family name include Alderton, Elderton, Eldarton, Aldarten, Eldertin and others.

Early Notables of the Oldten family

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

Migration of the Oldten family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Oldten surname or a spelling variation of the name include: John Alderton who came at the time of the "Mayflower" in 1620; and settled in Plymouth, and later in Massachusetts, at the age of 21. Another John Alderton settled in Virginia in 1663.



  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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