# Barton (surname)

The surname Barton has multiple possible origins. It may denote origin from one of the many places called Barton in England; however, another proposal would derive the name from Dunbarton in Scotland. The counties of Cheshire and Lancashire have the highest number of Barton families in the United Kingdom.
The surname name is also common in Germany, Poland, and other countries in the Slavic cultural sphere. In the vast majority of cases, it is also a short form of the name Bartholomew, originally a name borne by one of the apostles which became a popular forename in Europe in the Middle Ages.
In France, the name may derive from the commune of Barenton.

## People
### Arts and entertainment

* Anne Barton (actress) (1924–2000), American actress
* Bernard Barton (1784–1849), English Quaker poet
* Bethany Barton, American author and illustrator of children's books
* Charles Barton (director) (1902–1981), American actor and director
* Chris Barton (author), American author of children's books
* Edward Barton (born 1958), English poet, artist and songwriter
* Eileen Barton (1924–2006), American singer
* Emily Barton (born 1969), American novelist
* Fred Barton (composer) (born 1958), American composer and lyricist
* Harry Barton (architect) (1876–1937), American architect
* James Barton (vaudeville) (1890–1962), American vaudevillian and character actor
* Jamie Barton (born 1981), American opera singer
* John Barton (director) (1928–2018), English theatre director and founding member of the Royal Shakespeare Company
* John Barton (writer), 15th-century English writer on Lollardy
* John Barton (poet) (born 1957), Canadian poet
* Margaret Barton (born 1926), British actress
* Marmaduke Barton (1865–1938), English pianist
* Mischa Barton (born 1986), UK-born American actress and fashion model
* Peter Barton (actor) (born 1956), American actor
* Polly Barton, American textile artist
* Ralph Barton (1891–1931), American artist
* Rick Barton (musician), American guitarist (Dropkick Murphys, Everybody Out!)
* Robert Barton (actor) (born 1970), British actor
* Roger Barton (film editor), American film editor
* Roxy Barton (1879–1962), Australian-born actress
* Stephen Barton (born 1982), British film and video game composer
* William Barton (writer) (born 1950), U.S. science fiction writer
* William Barton (hymnologist) (1598–1678), English hymnologist
* William Barton (heraldist) (1754–1817), designer of the Great Seal of the United States
* William Barton (musician) (born 1981), Australian Didgeridoo player

### Science, technology, and medicine

* Alberto Barton (1870–1950), Peruvian microbiologist
* Benjamin Smith Barton (1766–1815), American botanist, naturalist, and physician
* Clara Barton (1821–1912), founder of the American Red Cross
* David K. Barton (1927–2023), American radar engineer
* Derek Barton (1918–1998), chemist and Nobel Prize laureate
* Ethel Sarel Barton (1864–1922), English phycologist better known as Ethel Sarel Gepp
* George Hunt Barton (1852–1933), American geologist, arctic explorer, and college professor
* Jacqueline Barton (born 1952), American chemist
* John Barton (engineer) (1771–1834), engineer noted for his engravings using his Ruling Engine
* John Rhea Barton (1794–1871), American orthopedic surgeon
* Lela Viola Barton (1901–1967), American botanist who specialized in seed germination and storage
* Michael Barton, American ichthyologist
* Otis Barton (1899–1992), American deep-sea diver
* Robert S. Barton (1925–2009), computer scientist, chief architect of several computers made by Burroughs Corporation
* Thomas J. Barton (born 1940), American chemist
* William P. C. Barton (1786–1856), American physician

### Academics

* Anne Barton (Shakespearean scholar) (1933–2013), American-born British scholar and Shakespearean critic
* Andrew Barton, lecturer in the School of Communication at the University of Miami
* Arthur W. Barton (1899–1976), headmaster and academic author
* Cornelius J. Barton (born 1936), American engineer, businessman; Acting President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1998–99)
* H. Arnold Barton (1920–2016), American historian
* John Barton (1789–1852), British economist
* Martha Helen Barton (1891–1971), American mathematician and professor
* Peter Barton (born 1955), British military historian
* Reid W. Barton (born 1984), four-time gold medal winner at the International Mathematical Olympiad
* Benjamin R. Barton (born 1985), British International Relations’ scholar

### Military

* Charles Barton (1760–1819), an Anglo-Irish British Army officer
* Geoffrey Barton (1844–1922), British major general
* Horace Barton (1891–1975), South Africa flying ace
* John Kennedy Barton (1853–1921), United States Navy rear admiral
* Matthew Barton (Royal Navy officer) (c. 1715–1795), English naval officer
* Raymond O. Barton (1890–1963), United States Army general in World War II
* Robert Barton of Over Barnton, (died 1540) Scottish sailor and courtier
* Seth Barton (1829–1900), Confederate general
* Thomas Barton (Medal of Honor) (1831–?), American Medal of Honor recipient
* William Barton (1748–1831), American Revolutionary War soldier, known for capturing an enemy general

### Politics, government and law

* Sir Andrew Barton (c. 1466–1511), Lord High Admiral of the Kingdom of Scotland
* Andrew William Barton (1862–1957), British Member of Parliament for Oldham, 1910–1922
* Basil Barton (1879–1958), British solicitor and Conservative Member of Parliament (MP)
* Ben Barton (1823–1899), American politician, physician, businessman
* Bruce Fairchild Barton (1886–1967), advertising executive and U.S. Congressman
* Charles Barton (New South Wales politician) (1848–1912), one of the Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1907–1910
* Charles Barton (1768–1843), English legal writer
* Charles Barton (Queensland politician) (1829–1902), member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
* Charles Barton (New Zealand politician) (1852–1935), New Zealand farmer, businessman and mayor
* David Barton (1783–1837), U.S. Senator from Missouri
* Edmund Barton (1849–1920), Australian politician and first Australian Prime Minister
* Edward Barton (c.1533-1598), English Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire
* Fred Barton (1917–1963), British socialist politician
* George Burnett Barton (1836–1912), Australian lawyer
* George Elliott Barton (1827–1906), New Zealand politician
* Henry Barton, appointed Sheriff of London in 1406 and elected Lord Mayor of London in 1416
* Hiram Barton (1810–1880), American politician
* Hiram Merritt Barton (1856–1928), American politician
* James R. Barton (c. 1810–1857), early Sheriff of Los Angeles County
* Joe Barton (born 1949), Texas politician
* John J. Barton (1906–2004), Mayor of Indianapolis
* John Barton (1614–1684), English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1659 and 1660
* John Saxon Barton (1875–1961), New Zealand accountant, writer, lawyer, and magistrate
* Joshua Barton (1792–1823). American politician
* Philip Barton (born 1963), British diplomat
* Richard W. Barton (1800–1859), Virginia politician and lawyer
* Rick Barton, United States Representative to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations
* Robert Barton, (1881–1975), Irish nationalist and diplomat
* Robert E. "Bob" Barton (born 1948), former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
* Robert T. Barton (1842–1917), American lawyer, politician and writer
* Roger Barton (born 1945), British engineer and politician
* Samuel Barton (1785–1858), U.S. Representative from New York
* Tom Barton (1949–2023), Australian politician
* Verity Barton (born 1985), Australian (Queensland) politician
* William Edward Barton (1868–1955), U.S. Representative from Missouri
* William Hickson Barton (1917–2013), Canadian diplomat
* William T. Barton, (born 1933), American politician
* Sir William Barton (1862–1957), British Liberal politician

### Sports

* Adam Barton (born 1991), English footballer
* Arthur Barton (cricketer) (1874–1949), English cricketer
* Bob Barton (1941–2018), American professional baseball player
* Brian Barton (born 1982), American professional baseball player
* Charles Barton (cricketer) (1860–1919), English cricketer
* Chris Barton (ice hockey) (born 1987), Canadian ice hockey player
* Chris Barton (cyclist) (born 1988), American cyclist
* Christopher Barton (1927–2013), British rower who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics
* Cody Barton (born 1996), American football player
* Dick Barton (boxer) (1911–1990), South African boxer
* Eddie Barton, New Zealand footballer
* Eric Barton (born 1977), American football player
* Frederick Barton (pentathlete) (1900–1993), British pentathlete
* George Barton (sport shooter), Australian sport shooter
* Harold Barton (footballer) (1910–1969), English footballer
* Harold Barton (cricketer) (1882–1970), English cricketer
* Harris Barton (born 1964), American football player
* Harry Barton (baseball) (1875–1955), American baseball player
* Jackson Barton (born 1995), American football player
* Jim Barton (American football) (1934–2013), American football player
* Jim Barton (sailor) (born 1956), American Olympic sailor
* Joe Barton (soccer) (born 1981), American soccer player
* Joey Barton (born 1982), English footballer
* John Barton (rugby league), English rugby league footballer of the 1950s and 1960s
* John Barton (footballer, born 1866) (1866–1910), English international football player
* John Barton (footballer, born 1953), English football player
* Joseph Barton (cricketer) (1860–1945), English cricketer
* Kirk Barton (born 1984), retired American football player
* Matthew Barton (tennis) (born 1991), Australian tennis player
* Michael Barton (cricketer) (1914–2006), English cricketer
* Paul Barton (born 1935), New Zealand cricketer
* Peter Barton (rugby league), rugby league footballer of the 1960s
* Roger Barton (footballer) (1946–2013), English footballer
* Roger Barton (rugby union) (1876–1949), rugby union player who represented Australia
* Sally Barton (born 1957), English cricketer representing Gibraltar
* Teddy Barton (1904–1941), English footballer
* Tom Barton (rugby league) (1883–1958), English professional rugby league footballer
* Tony Barton (footballer) (1937–1993), English footballer and football manager
* Tony Barton (athlete) (born 1969), American high jumper
* Warren Barton (born 1969), English former football player
* Will Barton (born 1991), American basketball player
* William Barton (cricketer, born 1777) (1777–1825), English cricketer
* William Barton (cricketer, born 1858) (1858–1942), New Zealand cricketer

### Religion

* Arthur Barton (bishop) (1881–1962), Irish Anglican bishop
* David Barton (author), American evangelical minister, author and political activist
* Elizabeth Barton (c. 1506–1534), English prophetess
* George Aaron Barton (1859–1942), Canadian author and clergyman
* Harry Barton (priest) (1898–1968), Archdeacon of Sudbury
* James L. Barton (1835–1936) Chairman of Near East Relief
* John Barton (missionary) (1836–1908), English Anglican priest
* John Barton (Quaker) (1755–1789), English Quaker and abolitionist
* John Barton (theologian) (born 1948), English theologian and professor
* Lane W. Barton (1899–1997), American bishop
* Richard Bradshaigh (1601–1669), Jesuit priest, known as Richard Barton
* Thomas Barton (divine) (1730–1780), Irish divine
* Thomas Barton (Royalist) (died 1681/2), Royalist divine
* William Barton (priest), Archdeacon of Totnes, 1385–1407

### Other

* Margo Barton, New Zealand fashion designer and milliner
* Mark Orrin Barton (1955–1999), perpetrator of the 1999 Atlanta day trading firm shootings
* Rich Barton (born 1967), former Microsoft executive and Expedia founder
* Richard Barton (1790–1866), colonist and settler of New Zealand

## Fictional characters

* Ashley Barton, alter ego of Marvel Comics supervillain Spider-Bitch
* Dick Barton, fictional detective
* Clint Barton, alter ego of Marvel Comics superhero Hawkeye
* Charlie Barton, fictional character in The Howling (film)
* Holly Barton, a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale
* James Barton (Emmerdale), a fictional character from the British soap opera Emmerdale
* John Barton (Emmerdale), a fictional character in British soap Emmerdale
* John Barton, a fictional character in Elizabeth Gaskell's novel Mary Barton
* John Barton, a fictional character in Looking for Alibrandi