The surname of ACTON was a locational name 'of Acton'. There are in England no less than sixteen parishes, hamlets, townships etc, called Acton - meaning the farm stead among the oaks. The name was derived from the Old English word ACTUN and was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as ACTUNE. Local names usually denoted where a man held his land, and indicated where he and his family lived. Early records of the name mention John de Aketon of the County of Somerset in 1273. William Actone of County Somerset, was documented during the reign of Edward 111. (1327-1377). Joannes de Ayketon of Yorkshire was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379. John Acton of County Shropshire of County Lancashire, registered at Oxford University in 1582. A notable member of the name was Sir John Francis Edward Acton (1736-1811) who was the English naval officer in the service of Tuscany and Naples, and prime-minister of Naples under Ferdinand V. He commanded the Tuscan squadron against Algeria in 1774, then moved to Naples where he became admiral and general of the Neapolitan forces. The associated coat of arms is recorded in Sir Bernard Burkes General Armory. Ulster King of Arms in 1884. Surnames before the Norman Conquest of 1066 were rare in England having been brought by the Normans when William the Conqueror invaded the shores. The practice spread to Scotland and Ireland by the 12th century, and in Wales they appeared as late as the 16th century. Most surnames can be traced to one of four sources, locational, from the occupation of the original bearer, nicknames or simply font names based on the first name of the parent being given as the second name to their child. In the Middle Ages heraldry came into use as a practical matter. It originated in the devices used to distinguish the armoured warriors in tournament and war, and was also placed on seals as marks of identity. As far as records show, true heraldry began in the middle of the 12th century, and appeared almost simultaneously in several countries of Western Europe.