Surname Origin - Shelton:
English (mainly Nottinghamshire): habitational name from any of various places, for example in Nottinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Norfolk, Shropshire, and Staffordshire, which are named from Old English scylf ‘shelf’ + tun ‘enclosure’, ‘settlement’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4, provided by http://www.searchforancestors.com/surnames/origin/.
DNA tests reveal there are multiple lines of unmatching Sheltons. This supports the claim, above, that the Shelton surname is of "habitational" origin. In other words, Shelton folks overall are more likely to share common geographics than common genetics. Initially, news that multiple genetic lines sharing the same surname may seem daunting to a researcher. However, things might not be so bad after all. At lease in our case we can hope all roads still lead back to Shelton … er… "Shelf Settlement"
Sheila Gibson ~ SpiritHawk
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