An English and Scottish surname, Alston comes from the Old English terms ‘stan’, ‘aethel’ and ’tun’ which mean a noble stone within a settlement. It can also mean from within the old manor. The spelling variations for Alston include Allston, Alstone, Alston, Aldenston, Auldston, Alstounes and Aldanston. In England the early Alston surname was in Cambridgeshire. From the over the centuries the surname spread to most regions of the England and to the northern end of Wales. The counties with the highest Alston population are Essex, Lancashire and the city of London. In Scotland the counties with the greater Alston population are Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Midlothian. Within the United States the earliest Alston families lived in North and South Carolina, in Virginia, New York, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama. Famous: Charles Henry Alston (sculptor, illustrator and artist), Walter E. Alston (professional baseball player and later manager), Richard Alston (English ballet choreographer), Rafer Alston (professional basketball player), Edward Richard Alston (19th century authority on zoology from Scotland), Kevin Alston (professional soccer player), Tom Alston (professional baseball player) and William Payne Alston (philosopher).