Find out how popular the last name Etherton is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Etherton.

Etherton, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Etherton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Etherton in America

Etherton is the 15959th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Etherton surname appeared 1,820 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Etherton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Etherton to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Etherton

The surname Etherton originated in England, with roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is a locational name, derived from the place name "Ederton" or "Etherton," which referred to towns or villages in various parts of the country, such as Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, and Yorkshire.

The name is believed to have its origins in the Old English words "ead," meaning prosperity or fortune, and "tun," meaning an enclosure or settlement. Together, these elements formed the compound word "Eadtun," which eventually evolved into the modern spelling of "Etherton."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landholdings and populations across England shortly after the Norman Conquest. The entry "Edretone" is listed as a manor in Bedfordshire, suggesting that the name was already in use by this time.

In the 13th century, records show individuals with the surname Etherton residing in various counties across England. For instance, a William de Etherton was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1279, indicating the presence of the name in that region.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Etherton. One example is Thomas Etherton (c. 1555-1628), an English clergyman who served as the Dean of Peterborough Cathedral from 1609 until his death. Another prominent figure was Sir Ralph Etherton (1671-1734), a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in the early 18th century.

In the realm of literature, the surname is associated with Charles Etherton (1834-1905), an English novelist and playwright who authored several popular works during the Victorian era. His most well-known novel, "The Unseen Hand," was published in 1884 and enjoyed widespread acclaim.

The name Etherton has also been carried by individuals in other fields, such as William Etherton (1857-1923), a British architect who designed notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Throughout its history, the surname Etherton has undergone various spellings and variations, including Ederton, Edreton, and Ethreton. However, the modern spelling of "Etherton" has become the most widely recognized and used form of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Etherton

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Etherton.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Etherton was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Etherton has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Etherton was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Etherton, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!