Surname Wotton - Meaning and Origin
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Wotton: What does the surname Wotton mean?
The last name Wotton is thought to be a topographical name for a person who lived near a wood or a collection of trees, derived from the Old English word "waet," meaning "wood." It is also speculated that the surname may have originated as a habitational name for a person who came from any of various places such as Wotton in Northamptonshire, Wootton in Somerset or Wotton in Buckinghamshire, all of which are named with the same Old English word.
The name Wotton is especially prevalent in the West Midlands counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire, suggesting an origin in that region. It is also relatively common in Devon, Cornwall, and Gloucester.
The Wotton family appears to have had a consistent presence in England since the 14th century. One of the earliest known records of the name was in 1340 when William de Wotton was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwick. In 1601, the family was granted a manor in Derbyshire, which to this day is the home of the oldest family branch.
In modern times, the Wotton surname is associated with notable people such as Sir Henry Wotton (1568-1639), an English courtier, diplomat, and author; Thomas Wotton (d. 1766), an 18th-century English Solicitor General; and Charles Wotton (1782-1845), an English East India merchant.
Order DNA origin analysisWotton: Where does the name Wotton come from?
The last name Wotton is believed to have originated in England in the early 16th century. It is not a very common name today, however, it can be found in various parts of the world. The United Kingdom and the United States are two of the countries in which the Wotton surname is most common.
In England, the surname is predominantly found in the counties of Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Gloucestershire. It is also found more sparsely in other parts of the country.
In the United States, Wotton is most commonly found in the states of Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Of these states, Massachusetts has the highest concentration of Wottons, thanks in part to a large number of individuals who emigrated there from England during the 17th century.
The name is also found in other countries, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In the United States and Canada, Wotton is most common among those with French Canadian and Acadian backgrounds.
Overall, the Wotton last name is not a common one, but it can still be found in various locations around the world.
Variations of the surname Wotton
The surname Wotton is an English surname derived from the same source as the surname Watkins, which itself is derived from Wat, the shortened form of the given name Walter.
Variants of this surname include Wooten, Wooton, Wessingon, Wetson, Wetsington, and Whittington. Other spellings variations of Wotton include Wesson, Wessington, Whytington, and Wootton.
The surname Wotton can also be spelled as Watington, Watingston, Wayton, Weavington, and Wheaton. This variation is more commonly found in Scotland. This name was more frequently spelled Waleson in the United States.
The surname Wotton is also occasionally anglicized as Waterston, Watersun, Watertun, and Wodeston. Similar surnames include Woolton, Wollton and Wootten.
It’s worth noting that the suffix “ton” or “tun” in most cases is an indication of a place name, in this case meaning “at the village,” so it is likely that many who bare this surname have ancestral roots in the same village.
The first recorded spelling of the surname Wotton was in 1197, when Roger Wotton was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire. Over the centuries, many notable people have been associated with the surname Wotton, such as Thomas Wotton, who was an English politician and author in the 16th century, and Dame Henrietta Joan Wotton, who was a British veteran of the First World War.
Famous people with the name Wotton
- Sir Henry Wotton (1568–1639): English poet, diplomat, and courtier.
- John Wotton (1751–1825): English publisher, bookseller and devotional writer.
- Edward Wotton (1592–1659): English politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Droitwich in 1644.
- Sir Richard Wotton (1568-1637): English courtier, architect, politician and astrologist.
- John Wotton (died 1641): English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1621 to 1625.
- Roger Wotton (born c. 1584): English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1621.
- John Fair Wotton (1852-1926): English cricketer who played in two Test matches.
- Robert Wotton (1613-1675): English politician who became MP for Newport, Isle of Wight in 1660 and for Scarborough from 1661.
- John Wotton (1582–1641): English composer and organist who taught Henry Purcell.
- Sir Thomas Wotton (1571–1626): English diplomat and courtier, member of the Privy Council in both England and Ireland.