Ton
A surname usually from a place-name ending in Old English *tun*, meaning a farm, settlement, or enclosure.
The #7,167 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 66,155 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Lower treats TON as a name tied to a very common English place-name ending. The key element is Old English *tūn*, meaning an enclosure, farm, or settlement; in some place-name analyses it can also be associated with a grove or wooded place, though that is less certain here. As a surname, it would typically arise from someone identified by residence at, or origin from, a place called Ton, or from a longer place-name shortened in use.
History
The form is especially common in English and Scottish surname tradition because countless places ended in -ton, and many surnames were taken from those places. In practice, TON may also appear as a shortened or clipped surname form rather than a fully independent medieval family name. The evidence provided is strongest for a locational explanation, though the surname itself is very short and could represent more than one source in different families.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Lower notes that -ton was one of the most common endings in English place-names, which is why it shows up so often in surnames too.
From the historical record
“TON 349 TOO TOLL, 1 . A grove of lofty trees ; a holt. 2. Toli, an A-Sax. personal name.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom