The name Wilton has its origins in Old English, deriving from the words "wil" meaning "hill" or "willow," and "tun" meaning "town" or "settlement." This combination suggests that the name may have initially referred to a settlement located near a hill or willow trees. The name can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, around the 5th to 11th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wilton appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and settlements in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document mentions several places named Wilton, including the town of Wilton in Wiltshire, which was an important center for the wool trade during the Middle Ages.

The name Wilton has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Saint Wilton (c. 635–726), a Benedictine monk and the founder of the Abbey of Wilton in Wiltshire. This abbey became an influential center of learning and culture during the Anglo-Saxon period.

Another significant figure was Wilton Dillon (1567–1642), an English diplomat and politician who served as the Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire and Ambassador to the Netherlands. He played a crucial role in negotiating the Treaty of Southampton in 1625, which ended the Anglo-Spanish War.

In the realm of literature, Wilton Lockwood (1861–1914) was an American author and journalist best known for his novels and short stories depicting life in the American West. His works, such as "The Deliverance: A Romance of the Virginia Tobacco Fields" (1904) and "The Beloved Vagabond" (1906), offered a vivid portrayal of the frontier experience.

In the world of sports, Wilton Norman Samson (1923–2015) was a renowned Australian cricketer who played for the Australian national team in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He was known for his aggressive batting style and was part of the famous "Invincibles" Australian team that toured England in 1948.

Another notable figure was Wilton David Felder (1940–2015), an American saxophonist and songwriter who was a member of the acclaimed jazz-funk band The Crusaders. He contributed to numerous albums and was inducted into the Jazz Wall of Fame in 2002.