Explore the Family Name Railton

The meaning of Railton

English (northern): possibly a variant of Relton, a habitational name perhaps from Wrelton (North Yorkshire). The origin of the placename is uncertain, but it may derive from Old English wearg ‘felon’ + hyll ‘hill’ + tūn ‘farmstead, estate’. However, Railton in northwestern England and central Scotland may have a different, but unexplained origin, and Relton in northeastern England may be a later variant of Railton influenced by association with the North Yorkshire placename Wrelton.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Railton in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Railton showed a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Railton ranked 75,466 in terms of popularity and fell to 80,419 in 2010, marking a 6.56% drop. The number of individuals carrying this surname also experienced a modest decline from 238 to 236 over the same period, representing a change of -0.84%. The proportion of individuals with the surname Railton per 100,000 population dropped by 11.11%, from 0.09 in 2000 to 0.08 in 2010.

	2000	2010	Change
Rank	#75,466	#80,419	-6.56%
Count	238	236	-0.84%
Proportion per 100k	0.09	0.08	-11.11%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Railton

The ethnic identity associated with the surname Railton, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data, is predominantly White. In both 2000 and 2010, there were no recorded instances of the surname among Asian/Pacific Islanders, those identifying with two or more races, Hispanics, Blacks, or American Indian and Alaskan Natives. The percentage of individuals identified as White with the surname Railton saw a small increase from 97.90% in 2000 to 99.15% in 2010, indicating a growth of 1.28%.

	2000	2010	Change
White	97.9%	99.15%	1.28%
Asian/Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Two or More Races	0%	0%	0%
Hispanic	0%	0%	0%
Black	0%	0%	0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native	0%	0%	0%