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

Sutton, 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 Sutton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sutton in America

Sutton is the 341st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sutton surname appeared 90,964 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 31 people would have the surname Sutton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sutton 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 Sutton

The surname Sutton originated in England and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is an English habitational name, derived from various places called Sutton, which comes from the Old English words 'sūth' meaning south and 'tūn' meaning settlement or farm. The name was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, referring to individuals and places with the name.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Helto de Sutton, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1166. The spelling variants of the name included Suttun, Sutton, and Suttone in medieval records. Several individuals with the surname Sutton were prominent in the 13th and 14th centuries, such as Richard Sutton (c. 1275-1345), who served as a judge and Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in England.

The name was also associated with various places in England, such as Sutton Coldfield, Sutton-on-Sea, and Sutton Valence. These place names were derived from the same Old English words and often referred to settlements located to the south of other towns or landmarks.

Notable individuals with the surname Sutton throughout history include:

1. Sir Richard Sutton (c. 1480-1524), a courtier and diplomat during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII.
2. Thomas Sutton (1532-1611), a wealthy merchant and founder of Charterhouse School in London.
3. Robert Sutton (1671-1746), an English clergyman and author known for his writings on religious topics.
4. Sir George Sutton (1698-1782), a British naval officer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament.
5. Thomas Sutton (1819-1875), a British civil engineer who designed and constructed several notable bridges and railways in the mid-19th century.

The surname Sutton continued to be widespread in England and has since been carried to other parts of the world through migration and exploration. Its origins, however, can be firmly traced back to the settlements and place names of medieval England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sutton

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

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

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

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