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Home › Baby Names Directory › Colton

Colton

♂ Boy

Pronounced KOHL-tun /ˈkoʊl.tən/High

Meaning: Coal settlement; from Old English col (charcoal, coal) + tun (settlement, town)High

In 30 seconds: An Old English place name meaning 'coal settlement,' Colton has the sturdy American-frontier feel that has made -ton surname names so popular for boys in 21st-century America.
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Origin HighOld English
MeaningCoal settlement; from Old English col (charcoal, coal) + tun (settlement, town)
U.S. rank (2025)#103 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births3,420 boys (0.20% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2013
Total births (all-time)≈ 151,929

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201319132025

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

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Colton derives from an Old English place name and surname meaning 'coal settlement' or 'dark farm,' from col (coal or charcoal) and tun (farm or settlement). Several English villages bear the Colton place name.

As a given name Colton became popular in the United States in the late 20th century, particularly in the South and West, as part of the broad vogue for -ton surname first names.

Did you know? Samuel Colt (1814–1862), the American inventor of the revolving firearms mechanism, helped cement the association of the Colt/Colton name with American frontier history.

Variations

KoltonKoltenColten

Nicknames

ColtCole

Famous Bearers

  • ★Colton Haynes (1988-)
    American actor and model
  • ★Colton Underwood (1992-)
    American television personality and former football player

If you like Colton…

Weston— -ton directional place name with the same rugged American two-syllable energy
Easton— directional -ton name with the same breezy American outdoors feel
Jaxon— shares Colton's Old English roots
Landon— shares Colton's Old English roots
Hudson— lands in the same popularity range

Frequently Asked

What does the name Colton mean?

Colton is an Old English place name meaning 'coal settlement' or 'dark farm,' from col (coal) and tun (settlement).

How do you pronounce Colton?

It is said KOHL-tun /ˈkoʊl.tən/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Colton a boy or girl name?

Colton is used almost exclusively as a boy's name.

How popular is Colton?

Colton has been in the U.S. top 200 boys' names for several decades and remains popular.

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