Colton Family History

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Colton Name Meaning

English and Scottish: habitational name from any of various places called Colton in England, perhaps also Colton House in Scotland. Examples in Norfolk, Staffordshire, and North Yorkshire are from the Old English personal name Cola (or the cognate Old Norse Koli; see Cole 2) + Old English tun ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’. The place so named in Somerset has as its first element the Old English personal name Cula (of uncertain origin). The one in Cumbria has a river name apparently derived from a Celtic word meaning ‘hazel’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Holton, Colston, Tolton, Elton, Bolton, Calton, Coulton, Chilton

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Colton Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Colton name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Colton. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    49%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    19%

  • European Jewish

    8%

  • Germanic Europe

    6%

  • Norway

    3%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Colton Family Origin

Where is the Colton family from?

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1840
    1920
    You can see how Colton families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Colton family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Colton families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 44 Colton families living in Massachusetts. This was about 22% of all the recorded Colton's in the USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Colton families in 1840.
    Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Colton surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

    View Census Data for Colton

    Colton Family Occupations

    What did your Colton ancestors do for a living?

    In 1880, Farmer, Keeping House and Laborer were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Colton. The most common Colton occupation in the USA was Farmer. 32% of Colton's were Farmers. A less common occupation for the Colton family was Carpenter.

    View Census data for Colton | Data not to scale

    • Farmer

      32%

    • Keeping House

      9%

    • Laborer

      6%

    • Carpenter

      2%

    Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Colton ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

    Colton Historical Records

    What Colton family records will you find?

    Census Record

    There are 71,000 census records available for the last name Colton. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Colton census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

    Search 1940's US census records for Colton

    Passenger List

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

    View all Colton immigration records

    Draft Card

    There are 10,000 military records available for the last name Colton. For the veterans among your Colton ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

    View all Colton military records

    You've only scratched the surface of Colton family history.

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    Colton Life Expectancy

    What is the average Colton lifespan?

    Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Colton life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1956, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Colton in 1942 was 31, and 70 in 2004.

    View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Colton

    An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Colton ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

    Famous Colton Family Ancestors

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