101,598 Global Shelton Family Members

Shelton Family History

There are approximately 101,598 Shelton family members around the world. In general you can double this figure to include those related to the Shelton names to allow for those connected to the name through maiden name connections.

This interesting surname, with variant spellings Shilton and Skelton is found widespread in the county of Nottinghamshire. The name itself is of English habitational origin from any of the places so called in Nottinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Norfolk, Shropshire and Staffordshire. The first of these was recorded "Sceltun", in the Domesday Book of 1086, while this source also records the other place names "Eseltone", "Sceltuna", "Saltone", and "Scelfitone", respectively. The place name is composed of the elements "scylf", the Old English word for shelf, ledge, or bank and "tun", the Old English word describing a settlement or enclosure. One John de Schelton appeared in 1260 in the Assize Court Rolls of Yorkshire, while the Assize Court Rolls of Warwickshire record a John Shelton in 1385…

Early bearers of the surname include: Robert de Schelton’, 1191 in Pipe Rolls (Staffs); John de Schelton’, 1260 in Assize Rolls (Yorks); John Shelton’, 1385 in Assize Rolls (Warwicks); Dorothy Shelton, 1545 in IGI (Norwich, Norfolk); Agneta Shelton, 1546 in IGI (Great Staughton, Hunts); William Shelton, 1546 in IGI (Toddington, Beds); Thomas Shelton, 1561 in IGI (Legsby, Lincs); Harry Shelton, 1562 in IGI (Kingsbury, Warwicks); Robert Shellton, 1604 in PROB 11 (Wootton Under Wood, Bucks).

In 1891 census, the surname was recorded in England and Wales with 4,691 occurrences.

In 1881 census, the surname was frequent in Nottinghamshire. Cambridgeshire was also reported as a top county for the surname.

In 1881, the most common Shelton occupation in the UK was Agricultural Labourer. Agricultural Labourer, Coal Miner and Farmer were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Shelton. A less common occupation was Labourer. 

The noted, Ian Shelton (born 30 March 1957) a Canadian astronomer who discovered SN 1987A, the first modern supernova close which is visible to the naked eye due to its brightness. 

1881, 1891 Census

1881 Census in Cambridge

Dictionary of American Family Homes, P Hanks OUP 2003

Homes of Family Names in Great Britain, H.B. Guppy, London 1890

The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, P.Hanks, Coats, McClure OUP 2016

1860 Lower, Mark A Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom, London: J.R Smith. Public Domain

1857 Arthur, William An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. New York: Sheldon, Blakeman. Public Domain

J.M.P