Atherton (surname)

Atherton
Pronunciation	/ˈæðərtən/ ADH-ər-tən
Language(s)	Middle English
Origin
Meaning	"Aethelhere's town"
Region of origin	Lancashire, England
Other names
Variant form(s)	Aðerton or Aderton, De Atherton, Etherton, Athurtun, Addertone, Hatherton

Atherton is a toponymic surname. One origin is the town of Atherton, historically in Lancashire, England.^[1]^[2]

Notable individuals

A

Adelbert S. Atherton, former American politician
Alfred Atherton, former American Ambassador
Alfred Bennison Atherton, Canadian physician
Alice Atherton, American 19th century theatrical performer
Amber Atherton, British entrepreneur
Andrew Atherton, former principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Dundee
Andrew Atherton (gymnast), British gymnast
Archie Atherton, American parachutist
Arlon S. Atherton, American Civil War veteran and politician
Artie Atherton, American showman

B

Billy Atherton, English footballer
Brenda Atherton, England international lawn and indoor bowler

C

Candy Atherton, British journalist and politician
Cassandra Atherton, Australian prose-poet, critic, and scholar
Charles Atherton, British inventor and Civil Engineer
Charles G. Atherton, U.S. Representative and Senator from New Hampshire
Charles Henry Atherton, American architect and secretary of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts
Charles Humphrey Atherton, U.S. Representative from New Hampshire
Charlie Atherton, American baseball player
Claire Atherton, Franco-American film editor
Cornelius Atherton, American steelmaker

D

Dan Atherton, British racing cyclist
David Atherton, British conductor and co-founder of the London Sinfonietta
David Atherton (baker), English baker and health advisor
David Atherton, British guitarist and mentor of The Wild Flowers
Donny Atherton, American BMX racer

E

Edwin Atherton, American law enforcement agent and private investigator
Effie Atherton, Scottish actress
Eleanora Atherton, English philanthropist
Ella Atherton, Scottish actress
Ella Blaylock Atherton, British-born American physician
Lizzie Aiken née Atherton, American Civil War nurse
Elizabeth Atherton, British lyric soprano
Elizabeth Potts née Atherton, American; the only woman to be legally executed in the U.S. state of Nevada
Ernest Atherton, Australian state level politician

F

Faxon Atherton, American businessman
Frank Atherton, British physician and Chief Medical Officer for Wales
Frank Peabody Atherton, American composer and music instructor
Frederick Atherton, American politician and writer

G

G. F. A. Atherton, American politician
Gee Atherton and Rachel Atherton, British mountain bike racers
George W. Atherton, American educator, and former president of the Pennsylvania State University
Gertrude Atherton, American writer
Gibson Atherton, American politician; former Representative from Ohio
Gordon Atherton, English footballer

H

Henry B. Atherton, US Civil War veteran, and lawyer
Henry L. Atherton, American businessman and diplomat
Henry F. Atherton, American businessman
Henry Valpey Atherton, American lawyer, part of the Nuremberg Trials
Henry Vernon Atherton, American professor and pioneer in the dairy industry
Hope Atherton, colonial clergyman of the 17th century
Horace H. Atherton, Massachusetts politician
Howard Atherton, British cinematographer
Major General Humphrey Atherton, early settler of Massachusetts Bay Colony

J

Jack Atherton, English footballer
James Atherton (settler), early settler in New England
James Atherton (photographer), American news photographer
James Atherton, English actor
James Atherton (footballer, born 1872), English footballer
James Atherton (footballer, born 1875) who played for Preston North End
James Atherton (tenor) (1943–1987), American tenor
Jason Atherton, English chef
Jeptha Atherton, former American politician and Revolutionary War soldier
Jim Atherton, Welsh footballer
John Atherton (died 1573), English politician
John Atherton, Anglican Bishop of Waterford and Lismore in the Church of Ireland
John Atherton (died 1617), English politician
John Atherton (pioneer), British-born Australian pioneer
John Carlton Atherton, American 20th century artist
John McDougal Atherton, American distiller and politician
John W. Atherton, American writer and academic
Joseph Ballard Atherton, American businessman and philanthropist in the 19th century
Joshua Atherton, former American anti-slavery campaigner
Julie Atherton, British actress

K

Keith Atherton, American baseball player
Kevin Atherton, British Irish Manx artist

L

Lewis Eldon Atherton, American academic and author

M

Mabel Louisa Dean Paul, a high-profile socialite who was known as Mabel Atherton, by marriage to Colonel Thomas J. Atherton.
Margaret Atherton, American philosopher and feminist historian
Mary Chandler Atherton, American educator and textbook author
Maurice Atherton, British Army officer and ceremonial officer in the County of Kent, England
Mike Atherton, English cricketer, former member and captain of the England team
Michael Atherton (musician), Australian musician and composer
Minna Atherton, Australian competitive swimmer

N

Nancy Atherton, American author
Nicholas Atherton, 14th-century English knight, MP for Lancashire
Nigel Atherton, British magazine editor
Noel Atherton, British cartographer

P

Paul Atherton, British entrepreneur
Paul Atherton, British television producer
Paula Atherton, American saxophonist
Percy Lee Atherton, American composer
Peter Atherton, a Massachusetts colonial leader
Peter Atherton (footballer), English footballer
Peter Atherton (manufacturer), British designer of instruments, inventor, and manufacturer of textile machinery
Peter Lee Atherton, American businessman, property developer, investor, and politician
Phil Atherton, English curler

R

Rachel Atherton, British racing cyclist; sister of Dan Atherton and Gee Atherton
Ray Atherton, U.S. Diplomat who served as the first United States Ambassador to Canada (1943–48)
Ralph Atherton
Richard Atherton, Member of Parliament for Liverpool
Ro Atherton, Royal Air Force officer
Robert Atherton (poet), English poet from Lancashire
Robert Atherton (civil servant), British colonial official in Ceylon
Robert C. Atherton, magazine editor
Robert "Bobby" Atherton, Welsh footballer who died in the First World War
Robert Atherton Edwin, New Zealand meteorologist and weather forecaster

S

Samuel Atherton, U.S. politician from Massachusetts
Sarah Atherton, British Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Wrexham
Simon Atherton, former American 19th-century Shaker
Sonia Wieder-Atherton, Franco-American classical cellist
Steve Atherton, former South African rugby union player

T

Tammy Ealom (Tamaira Jane Atherton), guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter for the indie rock band Dressy Bessy
Ted Atherton, Canadian actor
Terence Atherton, British intelligence officer
Thomas H. Atherton, American architect
Tommy Atherton, English footballer
Tim Atherton, Australian baseball player
Tony Atherton, American saxophonist and member of Bazooka (band)

V

Viopapa Annandale-Atherton, Samoan doctor

W

Walter Atherton (architect), American architect
Walter Atherton (footballer), English footballer
Warren Atherton, former American attorney and national commander of The American Legion
William Atherton (minister), English Wesleyan minister
Sir William Atherton (politician), British barrister and Liberal Party politician
William Atherton, American actor
William Atherton (mayor of Preston), British politician
William Atherton (plantation owner), British slaveowner
William H. Atherton, Canadian writer and educator
William Atherton (soldier)

People with "Atherton" as a middle name

Fictional characters

Bill Atherton in 1978 film Damien: Omen II
Geoffrey Atherton in American TV series Mad Men, Season 4, Episode 12 "Blowing Smoke"
Dr James Atherton in 1990 film Arachnophobia
Lucia Atherton in 1974 film The Night Porter

References

^ Bardsley, Charles Wareing Endell; Bardsley, Annie (1901). A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Henry Frowde. p. 66. ISBN 9785871144015. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
^ Patrick Hanks, ed. (2003). "Atherton". Dictionary of American Family Names: Atherton. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-508137-4. Retrieved 3 March 2021.

External links

This page lists people with the surname Atherton.
If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.

[Bardsley_Bardsley_1901-1] Bardsley, Charles Wareing Endell; Bardsley, Annie (1901). A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Henry Frowde. p. 66. ISBN 9785871144015. Retrieved 24 May 2021.

[2] Patrick Hanks, ed. (2003). "Atherton". Dictionary of American Family Names: Atherton. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-508137-4. Retrieved 3 March 2021.

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