(origin: Sax. Local) A corruption of Eston or Easton, the east town.

Arthur, William (1857) An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. New York: Sheldon, Blakeman. Public Domain.

ASTON. The Gazetteer of England contains nearly fifty Astons, and above twenty armorial coats are assigned to the name. Lord Aston's family descend from Aston, CO. Stafford in the XIII. cent. E"AT. ATE. ATTE. ATTEN. A common prefix to early surnames, to designate the locality of the bearer's residence, as Atte-Wood, by or near a wood ; AttTree, at the tree ; Attcn-Oke, near or at the oak, ka. The N mAtten was added for euphony before a voM'el. These were common forms in the fourteenth century. Subsequently At or Atte was softened to A, as A'Gate for At-Gate, ABroke for At- Brook, &e. Many names are so written do\l to the time of Elizabeth and later. In some instances the At or Att is still retained, as in Att■wood, Atwells, Atwater, Attree, &c. Sometimes the final N of Atten is made to coalesce with the name, though the Atte is di-opped, and hence we get such names as Noakes (Atten- Oke), Nash (Atten-Ash), &c. The following names with these prefixes are met with in medieval documents. Several of them are now extinct, but the others remain in forms variously modified. I shall add exilanatory words where necessary, but most of the names will be found in their proper places in the Dictionary. Ate or Atte — barre — berne (barn) — briggc (bridge) — brok (brook) — brug (bridge) — brugeende (at the bridge end) — bury — burn — chirche — chyrchene (at the church end, i.e., of the village) — churchehaye (churchyard) — cleyf (clift) — croch (See Crouch) — crundle — cumbe (See Combe) — dam (weir or river dam) — dene (SeeDeau) — dich (ditch) — di'ove (droveway for cattle) — dune (a down or bill) — elme (tree) — felde (field) — feu, fenne

Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain.