The origin of the surname Hamilton is generally traced to an English place name, probably from Old English elements meaning something like “crooked hill” or a related hill-and-settlement name. For the Scottish Hamilton line, the name became strongly associated with the town of Cadzow in Lanarkshire, which was renamed Hamilton in 1445.

What it means

  • One common explanation links it to Old English hamel + dūn , often interpreted as “crooked hill” or “mutilated hill”.
  • Another line of history says the surname spread from a place-name in northern England into Scotland, where it became tied to an influential noble family.

Scottish connection

  • The Hamilton family is associated with Walter Fitz Gilbert de Hameldone, who was granted lands in Lanarkshire in the 1300s.
  • Later, the town of Cadzow was renamed Hamilton, which helped закрепить the name in Scotland.

In plain terms

So, the name likely started as a place-based surname in England, then became famous through Scottish nobility and the town of Hamilton itself.

TL;DR: Hamilton is usually thought to come from an English place name meaning something like “crooked hill,” and the Scottish Hamiltons made it especially well known after the name was attached to Cadzow/Hamilton in Lanarkshire.