Appleton is an Anglo-Saxon locational surname.
Alistair Appleton, British television presenter
Charles Appleton (academic) (1841–1879), Oxford don and scholarly entrepreneur
Charles Appleton (cricketer) (1844–1925), English amateur cricketer
Charles William Appleton (1874–1945), vice president of the General Electric Company, judge and Assistant District Attorney in New York City
Colin Appleton, footballer
Daniel Appleton, American publisher, 1800s founder of D. Appleton & Company
Edward Victor Appleton, English physicist, known for his research on the ionosphere
Edwin Nelson Appleton, American Medal of Honor recipient
George Swett Appleton (1821–1878), American publisher
Henry Appleton (fl. 1650–1654), English captain in the navy and commodore
James Appleton (1786-1862), American abolitionist
John Appleton, American diplomat, politician, and newspaper editor
John Appleton (academic), Master of University College, Oxford, England (c.1401–8)
John E. C. Appleton (1905–1990), Australian theatre and radio producer
John F. Appleton (1838–1870), American Civil War general from Maine
John Howard Appleton, American chemist
John James Appleton (1789–1864), diplomat for the United States
Jon Appleton, American composer, author and professor of music
Larry Appleton, a character from the TV series Perfect Strangers
Michael Appleton, footballer
Natalie Appleton, British/Canadian singer
Nathan Appleton, American merchant and politician
Nicole Appleton, British/Canadian singer
Ray Appleton (1941–2015), American jazz drummer
Ruel Ross Appleton (1853–1928), campaign manager for Mayor Gaynor of New York City
Samuel Appleton (1766–1853), an American merchant and philanthropist
Scott Appleton (1942-1992), American football player
Thomas Gold Appleton (1812–1884), American author and artist
Victor Appleton, a house pseudonym, famous for the Tom Swift series
William Appleton (politician) (1786–1862), congressman from Massachusetts
Will Appleton (1889–1958), mayor of Wellington, New Zealand
William Sumner Appleton (1874–1947), founder of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities
William M. Appleton (1920–2001), Pennsylvania politician
William Henry Appleton (1814–1899), American publisher
William Appleton (entrepreneur) (born 1961), American entrepreneur and technologist
William H. Appleton (1843–1912), American soldier and Medal of Honor recipient
William Thomas Appleton (1859–1930), Australian businessman, shipping agent and public servant
