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

Norton, 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 Norton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Norton in America

Norton is the 531st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Norton surname appeared 63,722 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 22 people would have the surname Norton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Norton 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 Norton

The surname NORTON is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "nor" meaning north and "tun" meaning a town or settlement. It likely originated as a place name referring to a northern town or village. The name can be traced back to the 11th century and is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England and Wales commissioned by William the Conqueror.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name NORTON is in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1176, where a Richard de Norton is mentioned. The surname also appears in various charters and land records from the 13th and 14th centuries in various counties across England, suggesting its widespread use during this time period.

The NORTON surname is often associated with places like Norton, a village in Northamptonshire, and Norton-on-Derwent, a town in Yorkshire. Variations in spelling include Nortune, Northtun, and Northtone, reflecting the evolution of the name over time.

Notable individuals with the surname NORTON throughout history include:

1. Thomas Norton (c. 1532-1584), an English lawyer, writer, and member of Parliament during the reign of Elizabeth I.
2. John Norton (1606-1663), a Puritan minister and one of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America.
3. Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton (1808-1877), an English feminist and social reformer known for her work on child custody laws.
4. Charles Eliot Norton (1827-1908), an American author, editor, and professor at Harvard University.
5. Andre Norton (1912-2005), an American writer of science fiction and fantasy novels, often considered a pioneer in the genre.

The NORTON surname has a rich history dating back to medieval England, with its origins likely rooted in place names denoting northern settlements. Over the centuries, it has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including lawyers, ministers, writers, and academics, contributing to the cultural and intellectual fabric of societies across the English-speaking world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Norton

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

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 Norton 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 Norton 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 Norton was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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