name
Johnston
JON-stuhn
name
1
A Scottish surname, originally referring to someone from a place in Dumfriesshire whose name meant "John's town."
"Her grandmother's maiden name was Johnston."
"The Johnston family emigrated from Scotland in the 1800s."
2
Also used as a place name for several towns and communities in the United States, Wales, and Australia.
"They stopped for lunch in Johnston on their drive through Iowa."
How to Use Johnston
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA surname (and several place names) meaning roughly "John's town."
Common mistake
Easy to misspell as "Johnson" — the two are related but distinct surnames.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
Johnstons plural
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Her grandmother's maiden name was _____.
Etymology
Formed from the given name John plus "-ton," an old word for a settlement or town — literally "John's town."