The Colton surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,704 people carried this name — #5,210 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 44,100 people counted. That is up 6% from 6,313 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Colton surname

As an English and Welsh surname

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

An early record he cites: John de Coleton, Devon, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 197 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

77 families named Colton, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 416 people lived in those households, 5.3 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 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 42
North Carolina 13
New Hampshire 7
Connecticut 6
Vermont 3
New York 2
Maryland 2
Pennsylvania 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. 234 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Colton in American newspapers,
1890–1920.

Newspaper page from St. Tammany Farmer carrying the name Colton
St. Tammany Farmer 1916-01-22
Newspaper page from The Sedalia Weekly Bazoo carrying the name Colton
The Sedalia Weekly Bazoo 1890-02-11
Newspaper page from The Rock Island Argus And Daily Union carrying the name Colton
The Rock Island Argus And Daily Union 1920-03-25

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 5,564 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Colton in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1980s.

23,777 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Colton. The most, 7,231, date from the 1880s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in South Australia, at 4.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

South Australia 17,779
Victoria 2,235
New South Wales 1,838
Queensland 967
Tasmania 542
Western Australia 365
Northern Territory 19
ACT (Canberra) 8

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

Who carried it

People named Colton,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Albert J. Colton d. 1988 · Anglican priest
  • Quartermaster George Colton d. 1699
  • John Colton 1320–1404 · judge
  • Isaac Colton 1646–1700
  • Captain Thomas Colton 1651–1728
  • Samuel Colton 1680–1745

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Colton,
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 States968 records

968 records of the Colton name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 322
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 217
  • Other U.S. records 429
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record William E. Colton

    Born 1922 in Wisconsin. Enlisted 1941 at Milwaukee; bookkeeper from Columbia County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1990, buried at Wood National Cemetery, Wisconsin.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Colton

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Umbria from Liverpool, aged 20; laborer. From Tyrone, Ireland; bound for Philadelphia.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Michael Norris Colton

    Born 1948; from Alexandria, Minnesota. U.S. Navy, hospital corpsman; killed in action 1969 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 968 records for Colton in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · 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); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia137 records

137 records of the Colton name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 65
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 25
  • Other Australian records 47
  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 Henry Colton

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Gilmore, sailing from London in 1843. Native of Retford, Nottinghamshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1849.

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

    Arrived in Queensland in 1901 aboard the Duke of Norfolk, aged 18.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John Colton

    Gentleman of Hackney, South Australia; died 1902.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 137 records for Colton in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · 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); 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).

Canada28 records

28 records of the Colton name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 17
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 5
  • Other Canadian records 6
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Kathleen Frances Colton

    Buried in 1997 at St. Mary's Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 82.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Nellie Colton

    Died 1950 in Glace Bay, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

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

    Died in service in 1944.

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

Showing 3 of 28 records for Colton 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. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom9 records

9 records of the Colton 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 P. Colton

    Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    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 C. G. Colton

    Queen's (Royal West.Surrey Regiment). Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    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 W. H. Colton

    Welsh Guards. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

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

Showing 3 of 9 records for Colton 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).

France3 records

3 records of the Colton 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 Celine Colton

    Born 1895 in La Chapelle-Taillefert; died 1979 in La Chapelle-Taillefert (Creuse).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Suzanne Juliette Colton

    Born 1901 in Dommartin-le-Franc; died 1978 in Dommartin-le-Franc (Haute-Marne).

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

    Born 1897 in La Chapelle-Taillefert; died 1975 in La Chapelle-Taillefert (Creuse).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

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).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Colton name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 1
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Casius Colton

    Baptised in 1665 in Amersfoort.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Alice Colton

    In a population register; born 1864 in Caistor.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

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

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Colton.

When the index is not enough

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