The Houghton/Haughton Surname Project
This is a genealogical site attempting to gather and distribute information on the descendants and ancestors of all the Houghton/ Haughton individuals and families who have immigrated to the United States from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and other countries.
It is also the largest world wide site for comparing Houghton lines from any country.
The Houghton Surname Project©
The Houghton/Haughton Surname in the United States
The Houghton Surname Project is a genealogical research site dedicated to the Houghton/Haughton surname in the United States and to Houghton DNA lines throughout the world. It is an attempt to gather and distribute information on the descendants of Ralph and John Houghton of Lancaster, Massachusetts, John Houghton of New Jersey, and all Houghton/Haughton lines, who have immigrated to the United States. I am updating John Wesley Houghton's 1912 Houghton Genealogy for future publication.
The Houghton Project database currently has 114,000 Houghton/Haughton individuals and their spouses and descendants (83,000 Houghton and 31,000 Haughton surname individuals). If you are a Houghton or a Haughton descendant, please consider contributing your ancestry or descendancy. Any data submitted to the Houghton Project will be cited to the contributor in the final publication and the contributor will be noted on the website. If you need help with your Houghton/Haughton research, please contact me:
Send any Houghton/Haughton descendancy data you want to contribute to the Houghton Project (I can use Gedcom, TMG, FTM, PAF, Word/WordPerfect/Dos Text formats) to the above email address or use the input method below. I use The Master Genealogist V. 9 as my genealogy program.
Please use the following citation if you use data from this site: "Houghton Surname Project, compiled by Charles J. Vella, PhD"
Origin of the Houghton Surname Project
(Double Click the above Line)
Genealogical Proof in the Current Houghton Database
The Current Work:
Current Work in Houghton Project
Houghtons in the US Census 1790-1930
Houghton Surname in US Censuses 1790-1940
Houghton Bibliography: Sources and Census Data
Bibliography and Sources for the Houghton Surname Project
If a source is cited in the bibliography, then all the data in that source is currently in the Houghton Surname Project databast. As an example, all of the information in John Wesley Houghton's 1912 Houghton Genealogy is included in the database.
The Houghtons of Lancaster MA and the Hoghton Tower Hoghtons
Conclusion: Despite many historical theories, there is no current genealogically valid evidence for any known English ancestry for either John Houghton or Ralph Houghton of Lancaster, MA.
Anyone claiming such a connection is invited to send valid genealogical evidence.
The Early Houghtons
The Earliest Houghton Immigrants to America
A listing of the earliest Houghton/Haughton immigrants to America
Notable Houghtons/Haughtons
A selection of notable Houghtons — The famous, infamous, and some just interesting
John Houghton of Lancaster Ma (~1624-1684)
Ralph Houghton of Lancaster MA (~1624-1705
The History of Houghton/Haughton Research
A History of Houghton Research
A brief listing of all prior Houghton researchers
Houghton Surname Geographic Distribution
Houghton Surname Geographic Distribution
A listing of the number of Houghton surname individuals throughout the world
Houghton Documents in the Possession of Dr. Charles J. Vella
I will research anything in these documents if requested.
Join the world wide Houghton/Haughton DNA Database
The Houghton/Haughton DNA Project
Current Number of Dna Volunteers: Eighty-eight Contributors
Houghton Icons
Icons Used in this database to identify different Houghton/Haughton Lines
Houghton Database Indexes
Major Houghton genealogies (descendants are marked by colored icons in the actual Surname Index).
Clicking any surname in blue in any index will transfer you to their descendants or ancestors.
Search the Houghton Database
Search for any name in the Houghton Database (names in quotes are more specifically searched).
Once a page is found, clicking on a blue highlighted name takes you to that name.
Search the Houghton Database by specific name
Other Indexes
Slave Holding Houghtons & Haughtons
African American Houghtons & Haughtons
Houghton DNA Project Volunteers
Contributors to the Houghton Project
Correspondents to the Houghton Project
Descendancy Charts
Descendancy Chart of Ralph Houghton of Lancaster MA
Descendancy Chart of John Houghton of Lancaster MA
Descendancy Chart of John Houghton of New Jersey
Descendancy Chart of Elijah Houghton of Virginia
Submission of New Information to Houghton Surname Project
Submission of New Houghton Information
Houghton Surname Web Links
Houghton List Server on Rootsweb
Here's how to subscribe to Houghton List Server on Rootsweb: Send a message to
HOUGHTON-L- request@rootsweb.com
that contains (in the Body of the Message) the command "subscribe" and no additional text (if you have difficulty removing
your signature lines, you can put the word "quit" on the line after "subscribe").
You will receive a Welcome message providing full details for sending messages to this group.
Compiler: Charles J. Vella, PhD
Copyright (c) 1999-2025 by Charles J. Vella, Ph.D. All rights reserved.
© Copyright Information: All rights are reserved. All rights regarding the material, information, data and presentations used on this website, which are the property of the Charles J. Vella, Ph.D., are reserved. Permission is hereby granted to individuals and non- commercial organizations to copy and use the material for personal use and non-profit use ONLY. Please use following citation: "Houghton Surname Project, compiled by Charles J. Vella, PhD, 2024" The material on the website is NOT to be reproduced in any manner for profit or for commercial presentation, NOR is it to be used by any persons or organizations engaged in commercial "for profit" activities.
2024 Halloween Pumpkins: https://youtu.be/7srAZkvc78c