This is an English locational surname of Anglo-Saxon origin, from any one of the numerous places called 'Houghton' which can be found in at least sixteen counties in England. The places are mostly recorded in the Domesday book of 1086 as, variously, Houstone, Houstun, Hohtone, Houtuna, and Hoctun the majority of them share the same derivation and meaning, from the Olde English pre 7th Century 'hoh', meaning a ridge or spur of a hill, with 'tun' an enclosure or settlement. The places in Lancashire and West Yorkshire mean 'the village in the land in the bend of a river', from the Olde English 'halh', with 'tun'. The modern surname has two forms, Oughton and Houghton. The marriage of Anne Oughton and Richard Collier was recorded on the 20th July 1676 at St. Katherine's by the Tower in London.The Coat of Arms granted to Sir Adolphus Oughton, installed Knight of the Bath on May 19th 1779 has the blazon of per pale gules and azure, overall a lion rampant ore, guttee de sang. The crest being a tower charged on the side with a grenade sable. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William de Hohton, which was dated 1115, in the Winton Rolls of Hampshire, during the reign of King Henry 1, known as the Lion of Justice, 1100 - 1135. 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.

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