Surname Southon - Meaning and Origin
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Southon: What does the surname Southon mean?
Southon is an English surname of locational origin. It is derived from Southern regions or areas that were once in the south of a given region, town, or village. In the context of England, a person who hailed from in the south of the country might have been called Southon, meaning 'person from the south.' The name may also spring from a particular place called Southon. It is a compound of Old English words 'sūth' meaning 'south' and 'tūn' meaning 'enclosure, settlement.' Therefore, the last name Southon could also mean 'southern settlement or village.' This surname seems to have been first identified in Southeast England, particularly in Sussex, where individuals, families, or settlements from the south were given this surname for identification purposes.
Order DNA origin analysisSouthon: Where does the name Southon come from?
The last name Southon is most commonly found in Australia and the United Kingdom. In Australia, the Southon surname originated from convict transports primarily from North East England in the 17th century. In the United Kingdom, Southon has roots in Somerset and Dorset.
In terms of raw frequency, Southon is most frequently encountered in Australia, where it ranks 4,046 out of 100,000 surnames. The next highest concentration is in England, where Southon is the 8,478th most common surname out of more than 400,000 in the United Kingdom. Southon is also found to a lesser extent in Canada, with some early immigrant families forming from England and Scotland.
Today, Southon remains a relatively uncommon name regardless of where it is found. Despite its rarity, it finds its highest concentration in the nations of Australia and the United Kingdom. Generally speaking, the last name Southon is most frequent in the countries of its historical origins.
Variations of the surname Southon
Southon is an uncommon English-language surname, typically found in Devon, England. It has several variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin.
Variants of Southon include Souton, Suto, Southun, Southon, Southham, Southon, and Southam. Spelling variants include Southon, Suton, Souton, Souton, Souten, Soutonn, Souten, Sowton, Sowten, Suthon, Suston, and Suthon.
Surnames with any of the same origins as Southon also include Southard, Southworth, and Souter.
Other variants of Southon, such as Southore, Southard or Southwood, are likely to be related, but further research would be needed to trace the source.
The Southon surname has been around since the 12th century in English records, where it is often seen in various spellings. Through time, it has spread and continues to be seen in different places around the world, with different spellings.
Although Southon is an uncommon surname, it has several spellings, surnames and variants of the same origin. Therefore, the family name can be regularly encountered in various locations and spellings.
Famous people with the name Southon
- Tom Southon (English cricketer)
- Edward Southon (English amateur footballer)
- James Southon (politician)
- Jack Southon (professional Australian rules footballer)
- Dennis Southon (Australian rugby league footballer and administrator)
- Heather Southon (British Olympic equestrian athlete)
- Kyle Southon (British wildlife photographer and conservationist)
- C.W. Southon (Canadian politician)
- Shaun Southon (New Zealand cricketer and coach)
- William Southon (British doctor and writer)
- Russell Southon (British photographer)
- William Southon (British painter and draughtsman)
- Keith Southon (British writer and illustrator)
- Don Southon (British politician)
- Peter Southon (British cartoonist)
- Margaret Southon (British author and illustrator)
- Mary Southon (British actress)
- Pat Southon (British swimmer)