Contents [hide]

Acton History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Acton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Acton

What does the name Acton mean?

The name Acton first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in the settlement of Axton, in the county of Kent.

Early Origins of the Acton family

The surname Acton was first found in Cheshire, Shropshire, and Worcestershire. Sometime before the Norman Conquest in 1066 they held a family seat at Ombersley in their mansion Castle known as Acton Hall, in Worcestershire. "Engelard de Acton, of Acton-Pigot and Acton-Burnell, was admitted on the Roll of Guild Merchants of Shrewsbury in 1209. His descendant Edward de Acton, of Aldenham, married the coheiress of L'Strange, living in 1387, and with her acquired an estate in Longnor, in the county. [Shropshire]" 1

Aughton in Lancashire was an ancient family seat. " 'Achetun' was held before the Conquest by Uctred, the Saxon proprietor of Dalton and Skelmersdale; the manor, or parts of it, subsequently came to the families of Acton or Aughton." 2

The parish of Acton-Round in Shropshire was another ancient family seat. "The church is a neat edifice, the walls of which are ornamented with monuments to the memory of the Actons, by one of whom, Sir Richard, the chancel was built in 1761." 2

Another early listing of the name was John Acton (died 1350), an English canon lawyer known for his commentary on the ecclesiastical Constitutions of two papal legates: Cardinal Otto; and Ottobone.

Early History of the Acton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Acton research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1305, 1597, 1600, 1621, 1650, 1659, 1660, 1662, 1665, 1677, 1684, 1685, 1689, 1705, 1716, 1721, 1727, 1728 and 1731 are included under the topic Early Acton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Acton Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Acton has appeared include Acton, Ackton, Akton and others.

Early Notables of the Acton family

Notables of the family at this time include

Sir John de Acton, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1305
John Acton, MP for Droitwich in 1597
Sir Edward Acton, 1st Baronet (1600-1659), English politician, High Sheriff of Shropshire, a Royalist in the English Civil War
Sir Walter Acton, 2nd Baronet (c 1621-1665), an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1660
Sir Edward Acton, 3rd Baronet (c. 1650-1716), English politician, Tory Member of Parliament for Bridgnorth from 1689 until 1705, High Sheriff of Shropshire from 1684 to 1685
Sir Whitmore Acton,(c. 1677-1731), 4th Baronet, High Sheriff of Shropshire from 1727 to 1728

Acton Ranking

In the United States, the name Acton is the 6,720^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Acton family to Ireland

Some of the Acton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Acton migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Acton arrived in North America very early:

Acton Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Acton, who settled in Virginia in 1642
Jon Acton, who arrived in Virginia in 1642 4
Richard Acton, who arrived in Maryland in 1651 4
Richard Acton, who landed in Maryland in 1658 4
Fran Acton, who landed in Virginia in 1658 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Acton Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Acton, who settled in New England in 1718

Acton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Acton, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1854 4
Patrick Acton, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1887 4
John Acton, who landed in Washington County Pennsylvania in 1887 4

Acton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Acton Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mr. John Acton, aged 26 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Erin's Queen" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 5
Mrs. Mary Acton, aged 23 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Erin's Queen" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in July 1847 5

Acton migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Acton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Joseph Acton, (b. 1804), aged 23, English errand boy who was convicted in Staffordshire, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Florentia" on 14th August 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1864 6
Mr. Charles Acton, (b. 1816), aged 22, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 10 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 24th March 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1849 7
Mr. John Acton, English convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for life, transported aboard the "Blundell" on 13th March 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
Mr. Thomas Acton, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Blundell" on 13th March 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8

Acton migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Acton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Edward Acton, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "New Era" in 1855

Contemporary Notables of the name Acton (post 1700) +

Elizabeth "Eliza" Acton (1799-1859), English poet and cook who produced one of the country's first cookbooks for the common folk named Modern Cookery for Private Families
Commander William Acton, U.S. Navy, Operations officer on the staff of the Commander, U.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica, 1967–1968, eponym of Mount Acton, Antarctica
Brian Acton (b. 1972), American computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur, co-founder and executive chairman of the Signal Technology Foundation
Charles R. "Bud" Acton (b. 1942), American former NBA basketball player for the San Diego Rockets in 1968
Forman Sinnickson Acton (1920-2014), American computer scientist, engineer, educator and author, emeritus professor in the Department of Computer Science at Princeton University
Richard M. Acton, American politician, Member of New Jersey State Senate from Salem County, 1864-66 9
William N. Acton, American politician, Member of Illinois State Senate 22nd District, 1905-09 9
Richard D. Acton, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1996 9
Jonathan W. Acton, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Salem, New Jersey, 1885-97 9
John C. Acton, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 1956, 1960 9
... (Another 22 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Acton family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Percival C H Acton (b. 1918), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Brighton, Sussex, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 10

The Acton Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Vaillance avance l'homme
Motto Translation: Valour advances the man.

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 12)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/florentia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blundell
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, August 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm