Recorded in several forms including: Mitten, Mitton, Mithon, Mithun, Mitham and Mytton, this is an English locational surname. It orginates from any one of the various villages called Mitton or Mytton, of which there are a number of examples throughout the country. The name means 'The place in the Middle' from the Olde Engish pre 7th century 'mydd-tun'. This would have been a settlement, with most likely an inn, between two larger villages or towns, and where travellers may have been expected to rest. A similar sort of geographical description as applied to a village is that of the Danish-Viking pre 9th century 'Thorp(e)', which describes an outlying settlement, one upto three miles away from the main village. These locational style of surnames were usually 'from' names. That is to say they were names given to people after they left their original homestead and moved elsewhere. Spelling being at best erratic and local accents very thick, lead to the development of 'sounds like' spellings. Early examples of the surname recording found in the surviving registers of the diocese of Greater London include: Anne Mythen, who was christened at the church known as St Giles Cripplegate, in the city of London on January 21st 1643, and James Mithon, christened at St James Poultrey, also city of London, on December 13th 1663. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of Jordan de Mitton. This was dated 1219, in the Assize Courts register for the county of Yorkshire, during the reign of King Henry 111, 1216 - 1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop", often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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