The Alton surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,565 people carried this name — #7,305 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 64,500 people counted. That is up 9% from 4,204 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Alton surname

An English habitational surname from Old English.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Alton» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 35 people named Alton.

5 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 10 départements, most often La Réunion.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 5
La Réunion 8
Martinique 5
Gironde 4
Dordogne 3
Paris 2
Indre-et-Loire 2
French Guiana 2
Somme 2

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the Nordic population registers

40 people named Alton is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 40

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Alton was found among the farmers of Derbyshire: 9 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Derbyshire 9

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Alton in American newspapers,
1868–1908.

Newspaper page from Brookings Weekly Register carrying the name Alton
Brookings Weekly Register 1900-09-27
Newspaper page from The Brookings Register carrying the name Alton
The Brookings Register 1908-04-16
Newspaper page from Mineral Point Weekly Tribune carrying the name Alton
Mineral Point Weekly Tribune 1868-03-25

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 3,802 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Alton in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

26,630 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Alton. The most, 8,872, date from the 1940s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Tasmania, at 8.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Tasmania 13,502
New South Wales 4,024
Victoria 3,960
Queensland 2,247
Western Australia 1,615
South Australia 1,109
ACT (Canberra) 86
Northern Territory 21

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Alton.

Who carried it

People named Alton,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Jan Batista Alton
    Jan Batista Alton 1845–1900 · professor at a Gymnasium
  • John Alton
    John Alton 1901–1996 · screenwriter
  • Robert Alton
    Robert Alton 1902–1957 · film director
  • Rebecca Alton 1794–1860
  • Ernest Alton 1873–1952 · politician
  • Ernest Alton 1873–1952 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Alton,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States494 records

494 records of the Alton name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 169
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 74
  • Other U.S. records 251
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Mervin G. Alton

    Born 1924 in Nebraska. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; driver. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1996, buried at Greenwood Cemetery, Creighton, Nebraska.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Elmer Vance Alton

    Born 1928; from Baden, Missouri. U.S. Air Force; died in an accident 1951 in Korea. Buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Signor Alton

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Chester from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 43; artist. From London, Italy; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 494 records for Alton in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia106 records

106 records of the Alton name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 65
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 17
  • Other Australian records 24
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John Alton

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Clyde, arriving 1838.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Wm Alton

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Eliza, aged 30; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Adam Alton

    Curator of Echuca, Victoria; died 1916.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 106 records for Alton in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada17 records

17 records of the Alton name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 6
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 4
  • Other Canadian records 7
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record David Albert Alton

    Died 1959 in Windsor, Hants, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Peter Alton

    Buried in 1981 at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record George Alton

    Died in service in 1916.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 17 records for Alton in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

France13 records

13 records of the Alton name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Achille Pierre Alton

    Born 1911 in Bordeaux; died 1994 in Libourne (Gironde).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Alberte Emilia Melanie Alton

    Born 1909 in Azay-le-Rideau; died 1996 in Tours (Indre-et-Loire).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Eric Clement Alton

    Born 1975 in Madagascar; died 1997 in Grospierres (Ardèche).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 13 records for Alton in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

United Kingdom9 records

9 records of the Alton name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 8
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. M. Alton

    Essex Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. E. Alton

    Duke of Wellington's Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 2 of 9 records for Alton in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands9 records

9 records of the Alton name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 3
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 3
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Jochem Alton

    Died 1814 in Rotterdam, aged 44.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Hermanus Alton

    Married in 1793 in Heusden; born in Namen, Belgium.

    Open Archives, Streekarchief Langstraat Heusden Altena (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Arie Alton

    In the population register of Zutphen; born 1899.

    Open Archives, Regionaal archief Zutphen (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 9 records for Alton in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Alton.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Alton is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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