Sutton

How to say it

/ˈsʌt.ən/

What it means

English place name from Old English suth ('south') + tun ('settlement'). Common village name across England (Sutton Coldfield, Sutton-on-Sea). Sutton Foster the Broadway actress (Younger, Bunheads) anchors the modern feminine use.

Sutton is an English place name from the Old English sūth ('south') + tūn ('settlement, enclosure'), giving 'southern settlement.' One of the most common English village names; dozens of Suttons across England (Sutton Coldfield, Sutton-on-Sea, Sutton-in-Ashfield). The surname has been documented since the 12th century. Sutton Hoo, the Anglo-Saxon ship burial in Suffolk excavated in 1939, is one of the most important medieval archaeological sites in Europe. Sutton Foster the American Broadway actress (Younger, Bunheads, two Tony Awards) is the dominant 21st-century cultural anchor. As a US first name Sutton is modern and feminine-leaning: rare before 2010, climbing since. It entered the US top 500 in 2015. Common short: Sut.

Heads-up notes

• Pop culture

  Sutton Foster (Younger, Bunheads, Tony Awards for Thoroughly Modern Millie and Anything Goes) is the dominant US feminine anchor for the name.

Who's worn it

Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.

• Sutton Foster American actress, two-time Tony Award winner
• Sutton Hoo Anglo-Saxon ship burial site in Suffolk, excavated 1939

Spelling variants

• Suttonne

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See Sutton from another angle