Morton Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Morton last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Morton last name
Meaning of the Morton last name: settlement on the moor. The Morton surname is English and Scottish and comes from the many places called Morton or Moreton, meaning "farm on the moor". It arose separately in many counties, so Morton families do not share one root. The last name is common in the Midlands, Yorkshire and Lowland Scotland. A curious detail of this surname origin: Morton was also the title of a line of Scottish earls from the Douglas family.
Arms associated with the Morton name
Coats of arms associated with the Morton surname follow English heraldry, where each blazon names the colours first and then the figures, such as lions, bands or stars.
Get your full Morton family history
This is only a glimpse of the Morton story. The full Morton history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Morton coat of arms. Get the full Morton report.
Morton name FAQ
What does the Morton name mean?
Settlement on the moor. Common variants include Moreton, Mortoun, Moorton.
Where does the Morton surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Scotland and Australia.
Is there a Morton coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Morton coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).