An English surname meaning 'orchard town' or 'apple settlement,' also used as a place name.
From Old English æppel (apple) + tun (enclosure, town), literally meaning 'apple orchard settlement.' Many English place names ending in -ton derive from Old English tun meaning enclosed land or settlement.
This surname maps England's agricultural history - families took names from their location near apple orchards, preserving medieval farming patterns in modern identity. Johnny Appleseed's real name was John Chapman, but an 'Appleton' would have been equally fitting for America's apple evangelist.
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