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

Railton, 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 Railton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Railton in America

Railton is the 80419th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Railton surname appeared 236 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Railton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Railton 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 Railton

The surname Railton is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "regn" meaning "reign" and "tun" meaning "farmstead or village," referring to a farm or settlement during a particular reign or rule.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Railton can be found in the Feet of Fines records from Yorkshire in 1301, where a William de Raynton is mentioned. The spelling variations during that time included Raynton, Rayntone, and Rayntoun, indicating the name's locational roots.

The name Railton is closely associated with the village of Rainton in County Durham, which was documented as Reinintun in the Domesday Book of 1086. This village likely served as the original place of residence for some of the earliest bearers of the Railton name.

Notable historical figures with the surname Railton include William Railton (1800-1877), a notable English architect who designed several prominent buildings, including the Nelson Memorial in London's Trafalgar Square. Another individual of note is Arthur Railton (1858-1923), a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Brigg.

In the 16th century, a John Railton was recorded as a landowner in the village of Stokesley, Yorkshire. Around the same time, a Thomas Railton was mentioned in the Lay Subsidy Rolls for Westmorland in 1543.

Other notable individuals with this surname include James Railton (1781-1845), an English clergyman and author, and William Railton (1825-1901), a British architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

While the Railton name has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and colonization efforts in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Railton

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

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

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

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