23,842 Global CARLTON Family Members

CARLTON Family History

This interesting surname, of combined Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon origin, is a locational name from any of the numerous places called Carlton or Carleton found all over England, but particularly in the north and east parts of the country, where there were many Scandinavian settlements. The placename means "the settlement or village of the free peasants", derived from the Olde English pre 7th Century word "ceorlatun", which became Scandinavianised to "karlatun". The component elements of the name are the Olde English "ceorl" (Old Norse "karl"), free peasant, villein, and the Olde English "tun", village or settlement.