Recorded as Arrington and Arington, this is a rare English locational surname. Not to be confused with the almost similar although usually Irish surname Harrington, it either originates from the village of Arrington, near Royston, in the county of Cambridgeshire, or just possibly from a now 'lost' medieval village of the same or similar spelling. The meaning is probably tribal, and Old English or Anglo-Saxon pre 7th century. The derivation would seem to be from -tun meaning place of the (possibly) acer people (-ing-), with acer meaning arable, and hence describing a community of farmers. This is conjecture, but the situation of Arrington village in one of the best farming areas of England, would suggest a close connection with agriculture. Surprisingly the name is well recorded in Cambridgeshire from a very early date for church recordings. These were thought to commence in the city of London from about 1535 in the reign of King Henry V111th (1510 - 1547), and over the next two centuries spread out across most of England and Scotland, and ultimately Wales. However the first Arrington recordings predate London by some years with examples such as Margareta Arrington who married Randulus Pate at Elsworth, Cambridge in 1529, although we do not have the precise date. The first local recording to have a full date is that of Thomas Arrington who married Amicia Shingleton on April 7th 1583 at St Botolphs church, Cambridge. Given these recording dates we were not surprised to find a raft of recordings in London commencing in 1574. The first was on Octber 19th of that year being John Arington as spelt, who married Margaret Grynne at St Dunstans, Stepney, a church which regularly played host to newcomers to the city. No doubt there is much more to be discovered about this name and its name holders.

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