The first name Newton
A boy’s name from English meaning “new town”, “naples”, “nablus”.
Pronounced /ˈn(j)uːtən/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
English origin
Newton means “new town”, “naples”, “nablus” in English.
Inherited from Middle English Neweton, from Old English nēowa tūn (“new town”). Compare same construction in Italian Napoli (“Naples”) and in Arabic نَابُلُس (nābulus, “Nablus”). The unexpected Early Modern pronunciation with /ɛʊ̯/ instead of /ɪʊ̯/, as securely attested in Richard Hodges' 1644 English Primrose and confirmed by obsolete Welsh Newtwnn, is due to trisyllabic shortening in Old English nēowa tūn or Middle English Neweton.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Newton last appeared in the official list in 2023, given to 4 boys. It peaked in 2017, with 8 births (#2,512).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Newton with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Newton at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 15 boys born in the United States were named Newton, the 6,059th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1919, when 208 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Newton in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Famous people named Newton
20 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- James Newton HowardAmerican composer and music producer (born 1951)
- Newton Diehl Baker Jr.American politician (1871–1937)
- Newton Thomas SigelAmerican cinematographer, born 1955
- Newton C. BlanchardAmerican politician (1849-1922)
- Newton KnightAmerican Civil War guerilla, 1829–1922
- Newton FaulknerEnglish singer-songwriter, born 1985
- Horace Newton AllenAmerican missionary, diplomat, physician (1858-1932)
- Newton CannonAmerican politician (1781-1841)
- Newton W. GilbertAmerican politician (1862–1939)
- Newton Horace WinchellAmerican geologist (1839-1914)
- Newton MendonçaBrazilian musician, composer, and lyricist (1927–1960)
- Newton CardosoBrazilian politician (1938–2025)
More English boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Newton mean?
- Newton means “new town”, “naples”, “nablus” in English.
- What is the origin of the name Newton?
- Inherited from Middle English Neweton, from Old English nēowa tūn (“new town”). Compare same construction in Italian Napoli (“Naples”) and in Arabic نَابُلُس (nābulus, “Nablus”). The unexpected Early Modern pronunciation with /ɛʊ̯/ instead of /ɪʊ̯/, as securely attested in Richard Hodges' 1644…
- How popular is the name Newton?
- In 2023, 4 boys born in England and Wales were named Newton, ranking 4,107th. Its peak was 2017, with 8 births.
- Is Newton a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 8,182 US babies named Newton since 1880 were boys.
- When was Newton most popular?
- 1919 in the United States, when 208 babies were named Newton, its highest rank at 404th.
- How do you pronounce Newton?
- Newton is /ˈn(j)uːtən/, 2 syllables.
- Is Newton also a surname?
- Yes. Newton is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.