Charlton

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A village or district in southern England, such as the London area home to a well-known football club ; a family name borne by various people across England and beyond
2. A settlement or suburb in England, notably the south London district with a famous football club ; a surname carried by numerous people in English-speaking countries
3. A London locality known for its football club and a village name found in several English counties ; a family surname held by many people in the English-speaking world

Etymology: Charlton is a surname and place name built from two Old English words: "ċeorl", meaning "freeman" (a man of free but non-noble status, not a serf), and "tūn", meaning "town" or enclosure. Put together, the name originally described a settlement of free peasants, and it appears on the map in many parts of England, from Greenwich in London to Wiltshire and Oxfordshire. The word is a doublet of "Carlton", meaning that the two forms share a single origin but developed differently over time. "Carlton" and "Charlton" come from the same Old English root, and the spelling and pronunciation diverged as the name passed through centuries of local speech. Both versions survive as separate place names and family names, so a single old word now appears in two different guises.