Home β€Ί Baby Names Directory β€Ί Alton

Alton

β™‚ Boy

Pronounced AWL-tun /ΛˆΙ”l.tΙ™n/Medium

Meaning: Town at the source of the riverMedium

In 30 seconds: Alton is an Old English boy's name meaning 'town at the source of the river'. It began as a place name before becoming a given name.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningTown at the source of the river
U.S. rank (2024)#1566 β†— Rising
2024 U.S. births110 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1937
Total births (all-time)β‰ˆ 47,349

Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data

peak 193718802024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Alton describes a settlement located at a river's source, drawn from Old English roots. Like many English place names, it passed first into use as a surname and then as a first name. The result is a grounded, landscape-rooted name with a quiet dignity.

The clipped two-syllable sound, AWL-tun, fits comfortably alongside other traditional English '-ton' names. Its meaning ties it to water and place, lending it an understated, settled character.

Did you know? Alton likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Alton β€” etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration β€” 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

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If you like Alton…

Ashtonβ€” another Old English '-ton' place name turned first name
Daltonβ€” shares the '-ton' settlement ending and English place-name origin
Eltonβ€” an English '-ton' name with the same village-rooted feel
Coltonβ€” matches Alton's '-ton' pattern and English heritage
Carltonβ€” an English place-and-surname name parallel to Alton

Frequently Asked

What does the name Alton mean?

Alton is usually explained as meaning 'town at the source of the river' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Alton?

It's commonly said AWL-tun /ΛˆΙ”l.tΙ™n/.

Is Alton a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Alton is used as a boy name.

How popular is Alton?

In 2024, Alton ranked #1566 in the U.S. for boys, with 110 births recorded.