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Sutton

♂ Boy

Pronounced SUT-un /ˈsʌt.ən/High

Meaning: From the Old English 'suth' (south) and 'tun' (settlement, farm, town), meaning 'southern settlement' or 'southern farm'. A common English place name element.High

In 30 seconds: Sutton is a crisp, preppy Old English surname name that has found fresh life as a first name for boys and girls. Its clean two-syllable sound evokes both old English heritage and modern sophistication.

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Origin HighOld English

MeaningFrom the Old English 'suth' (south) and 'tun' (settlement, farm, town), meaning 'southern settlement' or 'southern farm'. A common English place name element.

U.S. rank (2025)#332 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births1,018 boys (0.06% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2025

Total births (all-time)≈ 7,348

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Sutton originates as an Old English topographic and settlement name, from suth (south) and tun (enclosure, farm, or settlement). It was applied to villages and farms lying to the south of a principal settlement. The name became a hereditary English surname in the medieval period, carried by families from any of the many Sutton localities across England.

As a first name, Sutton has gained traction in the United States in the twenty-first century as part of the broader trend of English surname names becoming given names. It has been used for both boys and girls, with recent trends favoring its use for girls as well. Its polished, slightly preppy quality — similar to names like Preston, Clayton, and Lawson — has made it a favorite in American naming culture.

Did you know? Sutton is one of the most common place name elements in England — there are over 50 places named Sutton in England alone — each one simply meaning the settlement to the south of a larger community, making it a name literally embedded in the English landscape.

Overall data confidence 93%

Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names — Old English origin and frequency of Sutton as a place nameSocial Security Administration Name Data — US usage and gender distribution

Variations

Sutten

Nicknames

SutSunny

Famous Bearers

★Sutton Foster (1975-)
American actress and singer, two-time Tony Award winner
★Sutton Stracke (1971-)
American television personality on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

If you like Sutton…

Lawson— two-syllable Old English surname name with the same polished, understated American appeal

Graham— two-syllable Anglo-Saxon place name turned surname turned first name with similar crisp elegance

Holden— two-syllable English surname name with the same literary, preppy quality

Stockton— echoes that soft -on sound

Paxton— lands in the same popularity range

Explore names like Sutton

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Sutton mean?

Sutton means 'southern settlement', from Old English suth (south) and tun (farm or village).

How do you pronounce Sutton?

Sutton is pronounced SUT-un (/ˈsʌt.ən/), two syllables with stress on the first.

Is Sutton a boy or girl name?

Sutton is used for both boys and girls in the United States, making it a genuinely unisex choice.

How popular is Sutton?

Sutton has entered the US top 500 for boys and girls in the 2010s and is steadily climbing as a fashionable surname name.