Staton
An English surname likely meaning “someone who lived by a farmstead or enclosure,” with links to place-names such as Stayton or Staunton.
The #2,514 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 21,421 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Staton is generally explained as a locational surname. In the excerpted source, it is connected with a place-name built from Old English 701e or a similar form for a “stayth” or landing place, plus t6bn, meaning an enclosure, farm, or settlement. The name may also reflect association with places later written Stayton or Staunton, so the exact local derivation can vary by family line.
History
The surname appears in medieval English records and was already in use by the early 16th century in Lincolnshire and elsewhere. Over time, spelling varied widely, and forms such as Stayton, Staunton, and Staton could overlap or be recorded interchangeably in different places. In the United States, Staton has become an established surname through later English migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same historical spelling stream can sometimes link Staton-family lines to several different English place-names, which makes precise ancestry tracing tricky.
From the historical record
“Lane. Fines, A.D. 1544. STATON (Eng.) DweUer at the Staith En- closure or Farm [v. under Statham, and + O.E. tun] A Stayton is mentioned in conn, with the Abbot of Barlings (Lines) in the Charter- Rolls A.D. 1315-16. STAUGHTON, like Stoughton, a form of Stockton, q.v. STAUNTON (Eng.) Bel. to Staunton, a var. of”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Staton
- Matt Bomer (b. 1977)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.