Charleston

The surname Charleston was first found in Suffolk where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The name Charleston itself comes ultimately from the Germanic personal name Carl, which was Latinized as 'Carolus'. The suffix 'son' or 'ston' indicate a patronymic surname created from the name of a father or male relative. In Europe the name's popularity was in no small part due to the fame of Emperor Charlemagne (742-814) or 'Carolus Magnus' in Latin.