An English and Northern Irish surname of Hamilton has origins from the Old English term of '‘ which means crooked and from '‘ which means hill. In Ireland, this name may have replaced with the spelling form of Hamill.

Spelling variations include Hamildon, Hambleton, Hametlon, Hameldon and Hamylton.

In Scotland the Hamilton surname is in Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Renfrewshire counties.
Along the northern border of England, the counties of Northumberland, Durham, Lancashire and Yorkshire are where most with the Hamilton families live.

Within the United States the Hamilton surname is in New York, Massachusetts, Indiana, Kentucky, Texas, California, Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, Ohio, Oklahoma and Tennessee.


Famous: Antoine Hamilton (18th century Irish-French author), Joe Hamilton (TV producer), James Hamilton (17th century 1st Duke of Hamilton to the Scottish throne), James Stevenson-Hamilton (of the Kruger National Park in South Africa), Charles Smith Hamilton (Civil War Union general), William Rowan Hamilton (19thcentury astronomer and physicist from Ireland), George Hamilton (actor) and Earl Hamilton (professional basketball player).