An English surname, Ethington comes from the Old English terms of ‘aethel’ and tun’ which refers to a settlement of certain people. Variations in spelling for Ethington include Etherington, Atheron and Atherton. In England many of the Ethington families first lived in the Kent and Lancashire regions. Over the decades many settled in Staffordshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Lincolnshire and south to the city of London and Sussex. Within the United States most with the Ethington surname live in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa. Famous: Thomas Ethington (champion U. S. Indoor National Lacrosse team member), Philip J. Essington (acclaimed historian) and Hope Ethington (founder of the Stress Less Living Career Coaching).