Carlton is an English surname and place name from Old English ceorl and tun, meaning "settlement of the free men" or "farmstead of the peasants", and it shares its roots with Charlton. It became a first name in the 19th century and had a solid run in the United States through the mid-20th century. Carlton stood at number 750 in 2000, its best year in this century, dropped out of the top 1000 shortly afterward and ranks number 2893 in 2025 with 43 births.