Surname Pointon - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'P'
Pointon: What does the surname Pointon mean?
The surname Pointon is of Anglo-Saxon origin and has geographical roots associated with the town of Pointon, located in the South Lincolnshire region of England. This surname is therefore classified as a habitation surname, which were typically derived from places, landmarks or geographical features of the landscape. The term "Pointon" itself is believed to be derived from the Old English terms "Pohha" or "Pocca," which are personal names, combined with "tun," meaning a farm or settlement. So, Pointon may mean "Pohha's farm" or "Pocca's settlement." Due to the migration and regional distribution of families within England and beyond, the surname evolved into various spellings such as Poynton, Poyntone, and Pointon. Overall, the Pointon surname represents ties to a specific geographical area in England and reflects the historical narrative of migration, regional identity and sense of place.
Order DNA origin analysisPointon: Where does the name Pointon come from?
Pointon is a surname that is known to have come from England, originating in the counties of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, and Leicestershire. It is mainly found in Northern England today, especially those counties which make up the East Midlands region. Pointon is particularly well-represented in the rural towns of Nottinghamshire, where it appears on many street signs. It is also found in social media posts of descendants scattered around the globe who are proud of their Pointon heritage.
The Pointon name has been found in other countries around the world, mostly due to emigration from the UK. Australia and New Zealand have had a significant presence of descendants from the UK Pointon family, and the surname can be found in prominent cities such as Sydney and Auckland. In the United States, Pointons are found mainly in Michigan, where one of the first branches of the family settled in the 19th century. Recent research shows Pointon families also living in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Saskatchewan, and in other nations, such as South Africa, Latvia, and even as far as India.
The modern Pointon is likely to be diverse in terms of religion and political orientation. In terms of professions and occupations, lineage from the East Midlands has been prominent in areas such as the armed forces, farming, teaching, and engineering.
Variations of the surname Pointon
The surname Pointon has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin, including: Ponton, Pointon, Poynton, Poynten, Poynton, Pontin, Pounton, Pinnton, Pointin, Pointeen, Pointin, Pointan, Pointane, Pointow, and Poenten.
Ponton is one of the older variants of the name Pointon and originates from an Old French nickname for someone with a pot or bowl-shaped head. This is more likely to have been a description of their physical appearance than any sign of a drinking habit.
Poynton is an old dialectal variant of Pointon. Its name origin lies in England’s historic counties of Somerset and Devonshire. In Devonshire, Poynton was likely derived from the Old English words ‘paeg’ or ‘pohha’, which were terms for ‘pond’ or ‘marsh’, while the Somerset surname suggests the Old English words ‘paca’ or ‘paeg’, which were both related to the word ‘pain’ or ‘pen’.
Poynten is the most common modern variant of Pointon. It has its origin in the Anglo-Scandinavian surname ‘pounton’, which was of locational origin, and is believed to have been derived from any of the various place names in Great Britain.
Pointin, Pointee, Pointan, Pointane, Pointow, and Poenten are all Germanized versions of the Pointon surname. The term ‘point’ in German is equivalent to the English ‘point’, and therefore it is believed that these spellings were adopted by Pointon family members who settled in Germany.
It is clear that the Pointon surname has a rich history and many variants and spellings, representing its various geographical origins throughout the world.
Famous people with the name Pointon
- Mark Pointon: British professional golfer.
- John Pointon: member of the Royal Australian Air Force.
- Mel Pointon: Australian basketball player, competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics.
- Steve Pointon: English footballer, manager and coach.
- Harry Pointon: English footballer who most recently played for Southport FC.
- Gavin Pointon: English cricketer who formerly played for the Derbyshire County Cricket Club
- Eve Pointon: British actress best known for her roles in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
- John Pointon: British politician, first leader of the Liberal-Democrats in the West Yorkshire region.
- Charles Pointon: British entrepreneur, best known for founding the charity organization Age UK.
- Nick Pointon: English actor best known for his recurring role in the television series Doc Martin.