Last name: Burton

This famous name is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a locational surname deriving from any one of the numerous places called Burton in England, found mainly in the midland and northern counties. Most of the places are recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as, variously, "Burtone, Bortune" or "Bortone", and most share the same meaning and derivation, which is "the settlement by a fort", derived from the Olde English pre 7th Century "burg, burh", fort, often referring to a Roman or other pre-English fort, sometimes a fortified manor, with "tun", enclosure, settlement. Some of the places mean "settlement belonging to a fort", from the same Olde English elements, while Burton in Somerset means "the settlement on the River Bredy" or "Bride", and Burton in Sussex translates as "Budeca's settlement". The surname was first recorded in the mid 12th Century (see below), and one Gerard de Burton was recorded in the 1178 Warwickshire Pipe Rolls. The modern surname can be found as Burton, Borton and Bourton. Richard Burton (1821 - 1890), the explorer and orientalist, was a member of an ancient family, holding lands in Shropshire since the 15th Century. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Ioluard in Burhtun, which was dated circa 1150, in the "Yorkshire Charters", during the reign of King Stephen, known as "Count of Blois", 1135 - 1154. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling. 2

Visitor Comments

Clarissa Burton
Who was the first of the Burtons to own slaves?

Gary Burton
me i have 6

Keith Burton
Clarissa asks an important question. I am Burton from Jamaica and suspect that my family name is derived from a plantation owner.

Antony Maitland
I have been researching the Burtons of Jamaica: they seem to have started with a Francis Burton about 1682 who had land granted in St John & St Tomas in the Vale

Burt Bernard Burton
do they make wagon wheels for you?

amie burton
im a burton av a very big family.try get the past for them

Byron Burton
damn..my ancestors really were slaves. I always hoped I was one of the lucky one's who's family may have been regular immigrants.

Olivia Hardin prater
my grandmother an africa american out of louisana, born a free slave in the late 1800's had to recieve her name from he slave decended black parents, yes for those reasons I too would like to know who her parents slave master was, so I could sue the estate of current rich families, to pay for the injustices as a formal slave decended, for the shit im currently going thru.

cory burton
well im a burton also half blackfoot indian and german my great ancistors had slaves and plantationswe live on a 800 acre plantation about 200 years old or so and im white so i dunno maybe theres all kinds of burtons but if im jamacin jah man lol

burton
i am allso burton my family in the past where the white monks allso know as the knights templars- cory burton that unreal shame you dont have that land now your be king

Aaron Burton
I thought something epic was gonna pop up lol. Like (Burton-Strong warrior with an array of skills)lol

Rusty Burton
Im a Burton but im also a German

steve burton
us burtons where biz people in the past I wonder how much are the burtons are related

Kevin Burton
Im a Burton that origin from philipines

s burton
whos up for starting a movement for just us burtons- where we can help each other and take over the world-

Ross Burton
Yes to this.

steveburton
Ok ross lets do this then ill start a socail site for burtons only IT WILL TACK ME ABOUT 4 WEEKS TO GET THIS DONE To all burtons i will need your help to get all burtons to join

Burton68
Hi everyone..i too am a Burton and I want to know where we came from. Im sure we are of riches

David burton
That's not you is it ste(my brother if so give us a tx.