The Carlton surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 21,202 people carried this name — #1,698 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 13,900 people counted. That is up 2% from 20,727 in 2000.

Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Carlton surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Carlton’.

An early record he cites: John de Carleton, Lincolnshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Carleton and Carlton.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 160 · public domain.

In Scotland’s registers today

Carlton was recorded 10 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1929th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 17. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

121 families named Carlton, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 715 people lived in those households, 5.9 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 51
New Hampshire 26
Maine 13
North Carolina 8
Pennsylvania 6
Vermont 5
New York 4
Virginia 4
Maryland 2
Connecticut 1
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 233 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Carlton in American newspapers,
1876–1890.

Newspaper page from Fair Play carrying the name Carlton
Fair Play 1876-10-12
Newspaper page from The Andrew County Republican carrying the name Carlton
The Andrew County Republican 1876-10-12
Newspaper page from Burlington Weekly Free Press carrying the name Carlton
Burlington Weekly Free Press 1890-02-14

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 6,741 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Carlton in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

36,304 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Carlton. The most, 5,903, date from the 1910s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 18,877
Victoria 8,883
Queensland 3,334
South Australia 1,851
Western Australia 1,751
Tasmania 856
ACT (Canberra) 677
Northern Territory 26

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

Who carried it

People named Carlton,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Mabry A. Carlton
    Mabry A. Carlton d. 1959 · politician
  • Henry Putnam Carlton
    Henry Putnam Carlton 1821–1909 · newspaper proprietor
  • Samuel Augustus Carlton
    Samuel Augustus Carlton 1827–1904 · politician
  • Henry Hull Carlton
    Henry Hull Carlton 1835–1905 · lawyer
  • Effie I. Canning
    Effie I. Canning 1856–1940 · actor
  • Richard Carlton 1558–1638 · composer

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 Carlton,
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 States1,705 records

1,705 records of the Carlton name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 736
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 284
  • Other U.S. records 685
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record David James Carlton

    Born 1946; from St Paul, Minnesota. U.S. Marine Corps, field radio operator; killed in action 1967 in Quang Tin, South Vietnam. Buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Earl D. Carlton

    Born 1905 in Alabama. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; electrician. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1968, buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery, Tennessee.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (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 James Carlton

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the City of Rome from Glasgow and Moville, aged 26; laborer. From Derry, Ireland; bound for Philadelphia.

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

Showing 3 of 1,705 records for Carlton in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · 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) · Ramsey County, Minnesota (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia484 records

484 records of the Carlton name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 267
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 83
  • Other Australian records 134
  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 Grace Carlton

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Edward, sailing from Woolwich in 1834. Native of Leeds, Yorkshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1838.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Mary Carlton

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1836. Married 1836 in Hobart, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Martin Carlton

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the Columbia, aged 33; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 484 records for Carlton in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0). 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); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada72 records

72 records of the Carlton name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 45
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 9
  • Other Canadian records 18
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Carlton

    Came to Ontario in 1873 aboard the Prussian, bound for Ingersoll, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Linda E. Carlton

    Buried in 1986 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 36.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record John Carlton

    Died 1941 in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 72 records for Carlton in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom15 records

15 records of the Carlton name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 12
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Vandum Carlton

    Buried in 1795 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 56.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. Carlton

    Royal Irish Rifles. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

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

    Royal Engineers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

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

Showing 3 of 15 records for Carlton 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: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France5 records

5 records of the Carlton 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 Leandre Venus Carlton

    Born 1926 in Petit-Canal (Guadeloupe); died 1993 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Edmond Roger Maurice Carlton

    Born 1913 in Saint-Claude (Guadeloupe); died 1990 in Paris.

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

    Born 1958 in Germany; died 1995 in Paris.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Carlton 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).

New Zealand4 records

4 records of the Carlton name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 3
  • Timaru and Mackenzie District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Carlton

    Died 1974, aged 71; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Joseph Carlton

    Died 1940, aged 75; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Carlton in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Canterbury Maps (Environment Canterbury), Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils (CC BY 3.0 NZ). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Carlton.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Carlton 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.

See the Carlton volume
Scroll to Top