Norton surname meaning

Norton is an English habitational surname from one of several places called Norton. Their names generally combine Old English north with tūn, a farm, enclosure, or settlement, producing the sense “north settlement” or “north farm.” A family could therefore receive Norton because it came from a locality north of a larger community, not because every bearer left the same village. Northon, Nortone, and related medieval spellings reflect record variation. The surname’s defining clue is geographic origin, while the exact Norton locality requires genealogical evidence. Place is the secure catalog type, with high confidence.