The surname Bourton is of English origin. It is a habitational name from a placename that is very common in Midland and Northern England. There are at least twenty-nine parishes called Burton in England. The name thus signifies ‘local of Burton’. It is generally derived from the Middle English ‘burc’,’burk’ fort, from the Old English ‘burh or the Old High German ‘burg’ the common Germanic word for a fortfication. In the Middle Ages any sizeable habitation had to be fortified, but in England the term ‘burc’ came to be specialized to denote the site of a prehistoric hill fort; while its doublet ‘burig’, ‘borough’ denoted a fortified manor house or fortified town. The Old English ‘tun’ signifies enclosure, farm or village. The name may also derive from the Old English ‘bur’, the boor or peasant, ‘byre’, the castle-stall, ‘Beorhta’ signifieing bright, glorious; the diversity of origin of this name accounts for its commonness. The name dates as…
Coat of arms: Azure a fess…