This is a rare and interesting name is of late medieval English origin. It is locational from places so called in Cumberland, Durham and Northumberland, although the meanings of the separate villages are slightly different. The village in Cumberland was first recorded in the form of "Emelton" in the rolls known as "The feet of fines" of the year 1195, and derives from the Old English pre 7th Century "Eanbald", a personal name, and "tun", a fence or enclosure. Durham's village was recorded in circa 1190 as "Elmedene", and the derivation is "Elm", the tree, and "denu", a valley, thus elm valley. Finally, Embleton in Northumberland, derives either from the Old English "Emel", meaning caterpillar and "dun", a hill, thus a hill infested by caterpillars, or the alternative suggestion is that the first element represents a personal name and if so, probably "Aemele". Early examples of the surname recordings taken from authentic church registers of the period, include the marriage between Alice Embleton and Gilbert Allison, on October 19th 1666, at Rothbury, and the christening of Robert Embleton, at Bedlington church, both recordings are from the county of Northumberland, on July 29th 1668. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of Francis Embleton, which was dated March 3rd 1624, at the church of St Benets, Pauls Wharf, City of London, in the reign of King James 1st of England, and V1 of Scotland, 1603 - 1625.

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