(origin: Local) From a township in Cheshire, England, spelled in the Doomsday Book Werburghtune, so called from a monastery there situated dedicated to St. Werbergh.

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

WARBURTON. A parish in Cheshire gave name to this ancient family, who are a branch of the great house of Dutton of that county. AVarburton was acquired by the Duttons as early as temp. Henry II., but it was not until the reign of Edward I., or II., that this territorial surname was assumed by Sir Peter de Dutton. This worthy knight was the grandson of Sir Geofi'rey de Dutton, a Crusader, to whom the AVarburton crest, "a Saracen's head," alludes. " The crest which is still borne by the AVarburtous refers to the Holy Land, and was probably gained by some heroic exploit in the expedition." Ormerod's Cheshire. In the Harl. MS. 1.39 (p. G8.) it is stated that, "This Galfrid lived in 1244. He was servyuge his prynce, and vanquyshed a Sarraziu in combatc — tlien begynnynge to scale with a Sarrazin's head." B.L.G.

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