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Orton Family History

Orton Name Meaning

English: habitational name from any of various places called Orton in Cambridgeshire Leicestershire Northamptonshire Warwickshire and Westmorland. All those in England share a second element from Old English tūn ‘enclosure settlement’ but the first element in each case is more difficult to determine. Examples in Cambridgeshire and Warwickshire are on the banks of rivers so these are probably derived from Old English ōfer ‘riverbank’; in other cases it is impossible to distinguish between ofer ‘ridge’ and ufera ‘upper’. Orton in Westmorland is probably formed with the Old Norse byname Orri ‘black-cock’ (the male black grouse). Orton near Fochabers Scotland is of uncertain etymology. Americanized form of Norwegian Årtun: habitational name from the farm name Årtun found in six places e.g. in the province of Rogaland a compound of the genitive case singular of Old Norse á ‘small river’ and tún ‘farm yard (surrounded by buildings)’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Worton, Horton, Norton, Lorton, Colton, Morton, Elton, Gorton, Forton

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Where is the Orton family from?

You can see how Orton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Orton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Orton families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 144 Orton families living in Ontario. This was about 72% of all the recorded Orton's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Orton families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Orton surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Orton ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Orton. 57% of Orton men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Orton women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Orton were Blacksmith and Servant. .

View Census Data for Orton | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    57%
  • Labourer
    11%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Blacksmith
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housewife
    34%
  • Teacher
    34%
  • Servant
    34%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Orton family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 80,000 census records available for the last name Orton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Orton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Orton. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Orton. For the veterans among your Orton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Orton lifespan?

Between 1949 and 2004, in the United States, Orton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Orton in 1949 was 43, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Orton

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