It is believed that the Middleton name was originally taken from lands of the same name near Laurencekirk in Kincardineshire.
It is here that the family would eventually settle, although the historic seat of the clan would be at Fettercairn in Aberdeenshire. This seat was passed to the Middletons in the 12th century.
Today, the clan is armigerous – meaning it has no clan chief.