Akwai manyan ma'anoni na ƙamus guda biyu na kalmar "Dalton": A matsayin suna, "Dalton" yana nufin rukunin taro da ake amfani da shi don bayyana ma'aunin atomic da kwayoyin. Sunan ta ne bayan masanin ilmin sunadarai da physicist dan Ingila John Dalton, wanda ya kirkiro ka'idar atomic. Dalton ɗaya yana daidai da kashi goma sha biyu na adadin zarra na carbon-12. , dangane da mahallin. Alal misali, Dalton yana iya komawa ga wani gari a Ingila, wani birni a Jojiya a Amurka, sunan sunan asalin Ingilishi, ko sunan wani hali a cikin shirin talabijin na Amurka "Road House."