Empleton

This rare and interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a locational name from "Embleton" in Cumberland, Durham and Northumberland. However the placenames in these three counties all have different derivations. The village in Cumberland was first recorded in the form of "Emelton" in the Fines Records of 1195, and derives from the Olde English pre 7th Century personal name "Eanbald", with "tun", a settlement or enclosure; hence "Eanbald's settlement". Durham's village of this name was recorded in 1190 as "Elmedene", and the derivation is from the Olde English "elm", the tree, and "denu" a valley, thus elm valley. Finally, Embelton in Northumberland, recorded as "Emlesdone" in the 1212 Red Book of the Exchequer, derives either from the Olde English "emel", a caterpillar, with "dun" a hill, hence "a hill infested with caterpillars", or more probably the first element is the Olde English personal name of unknown origin "Aemele". The modern surname is also found as Embleton, Ampleton and Impleton. On July 29th 1658, Robert Embelton was christened at Bedlington Church, Northumberland, and Timothy, son of John and Sarah Empleton, was christened on March 22nd 1676, at Sandon Church, Herefordshire. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Francis Embleton, which was dated March 5th 1624, marriage to Elizabeth at St. Benet's Church, Pauls Wharf, London, during the reign of King James 1st of England, 1603-1625. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.