Carlton
Carlton is a boys' name of English origin meaning “settlement of free men.” Carlton derives from Old English 'carlton,' meaning a settlement of free peasants.
how do you pronounce Carlton?
KARL-ton
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Carlton mean?
The name Carlton means “settlement of free men.” It comes from the English language tradition.
Carlton derives from Old English 'carlton,' meaning a settlement of free peasants. It has deep roots as an English place name and aristocratic surname. In American pop culture, Carlton Banks from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air made the name iconic, though it retains its traditional English gentleman quality.
where does the name Carlton come from?
Wiktionary and Wikipedia agree Carlton derives from elements meaning 'freeman' and 'town', glossed by Wikipedia as 'free peasant settlement' or 'from the town of the free men' — consistent with the existing gloss. Wiktionary notes the sound shift seen in the related form Charlton is attributed to Old Norse influence.
the history of Carlton
Both sources treat it primarily as an English place name and surname; neither dates its transfer to use as a given name or mentions its pop-culture uses.
what are the nicknames and variants of Carlton?
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Carlton?
- Carlton Banks (iconic character from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)
- Carlton Fisk (legendary American baseball catcher)
what names are similar to Carlton?
what names go well with Carlton?
Sibling names that share Carlton's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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