Arrington

Arrington is an English habitational surname, derived from the name of a village in Cambridgeshire, England. The place name itself comes from Old English: the personal name *Earna (a byname meaning “eagle”), combined with -ing (“belonging to”) and tūn (“enclosure, settlement, town”). Thus, Arrington originally denoted “Earna's settlement.”

Etymology and Origins

The village of Arrington is located in South Cambridgeshire, and its etymology reflects a common pattern in English place-names: a personal name followed by the suffix -ing (indicating association) and -tūn (farmstead or village). The progenitor's name, Earna, is related to the Old English word earn (“eagle”), suggesting that the individual may have had a nickname referring to the bird of prey.

Distribution and Modern Usage

As a surname, Arrington is most commonly found in the United States and the United Kingdom. According to the 2010 United States Census, Arrington ranked as the 1,573rd most common surname in the country, with over 22,800 bearers. Variants include the spelling Arington, which may arise from phonetic changes or transcription errors.

Notable Bearers

Several noteworthy individuals have borne the surname Arrington:
- Steve Arrington (born 1956), American drummer and lead singer of the funk band Slave, and a recording artist.
- LaVar Arrington (born 1978), American football linebacker who played for the Washington Redskins and New York Giants.
- Adam Arrington, American college baseball coach.
- Michael J. Arrington (born 1970), founder of the tech blog TechCrunch.

Related Surnames

The surname Arrington belongs to a larger group of habitation names ending in -ington. Similar surnames include Harrington and Arrington (variant spellings may exist via migration and Anglicization).

• Meaning: “Earna's settlement”
• Origin: Old English (Cambridgeshire)
• Type: Habitational surname
• Usage Regions: England, United States