Where the Hamilton name comes from

Hamilton began as a place name in Old English, built from hamel, meaning blunt or flat-topped, and dune, a hill. That flat-topped hill was the village of Hamilton in Leicestershire, England, where the surname probably started. By the 13th century, bearers of the name had established themselves in Lanarkshire, Scotland.

The town of Hamilton in South Lanarkshire was named after the family some time before 1445, so the place took its name back from the people. The family holds the dukedom of Hamilton in the Peerage of Scotland, and Clan Hamilton carries the name still. Hamiltons today descend either from that original noble family or from people named after the town.