Acton

Acton is a place name used in several English-speaking countries. The toponym is of Anglo-Saxon origin, with the suffix -ton meaning town or settlement; the precise first element varies and may refer to a feature of the landscape or a personal name. Today, Acton tends to identify neighborhoods and small towns rather than single, dominant locations.

In England, Acton refers to a district in the western part of London, within the London Borough of Ealing. It sits between Shepherd’s Bush and Hammersmith and includes Acton Town, a transport hub served by the London Underground. The area has a mixed residential character and a long industrial and commercial history.

In Canada, Acton, Ontario, is a community in the town of Halton Hills in southern Ontario, near Milton and Georgetown. It is a smaller, mainly residential area that forms part of the Greater Toronto Area’s fringe.

In the United States, Acton, Massachusetts, is a town in Middlesex County located northwest of Boston and part of the Greater Boston region. Acton, California, is a census-designated place in Los Angeles County, situated along the Route 14 corridor north of Palmdale and near the Antelope Valley.

There are other minor Acton communities and the name is used by various institutions and entities, such as the Acton Institute, a think tank based in Michigan. The multiplicity of Actons reflects the broad dispersion of English place names across the world.