Aiston Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

The ancestors of the bearers of the Aiston family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the place named Aston, in the county of Stafford.

Early Origins of the Aiston family

The surname Aiston was first found in the counties of Cheshire and Lancashire.

Aston-By-Sutton in Cheshire was of particular significance to the family. "The manor [of Aston-By-Sutton] belonged as early as the reign of Wm. I. to the family of Aston, of whom Thomas Aston was created a Baronet by Charles I. in 1628; he was an officer in the king's service, and was actively engaged in the civil war, as was also Sir Arthur Aston, who was a personal friend of Charles. The title became extinct in the commencement of the eighteenth century. Aston Hall, a handsome mansion, built about the close of the 17th century, and surrounded by an extensive park, is the seat of Sir Arthur Ingram Aston, G.C.B.; it stands on elevated ground, and commands fine views of the estuary of the Weaver, and of the Lancashire shore on the north-west." 1

The township of Liscard, again in Cheshire had early records of the family: "In the reign of Edward I., the manor was held under the barons of Halton by Richard de Aston." 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 lists: Roger de Astun in Salop (Shropshire); Thomas de Aston in Lancashire; William de Aston in Herefordshire; and John de Ascheton in Somerset. Roger de Assheton was found in Lancashire, 20 Edward I. The Yorkshire Polls Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes de Aston; Johannes Aystyn; Henricus Astyn; and Willelmus Aston. 2 Richard de Aston held the Prebendary of Finsbury in 1358.

"Ashton is also a Lancashire place name. The Asshetons belonged to a notable family that for many centuries played a conspicuous part in the county; the Asshetons of Downham and Midleton, going back to the 15th and 16th centuries, were amongst the oldest branches." 3 Guppy continues to note that "the Ashtons of this county, who are numerous on the Yorkshire border, similarly derive their name from places in Derbyshire."

Later, some of the family were found much father to the north in Scotland. There, Roger Aschtoun had a pension in 1585 from the fruits of part of the bishopric of Ross and later, Sebastian Ashton, was burgess of Linlithgow, 1688. 4

Early History of the Aiston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Aiston research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1350, 1485, 1558, 1584, 1590, 1600, 1606, 1609, 1621, 1633, 1637, 1639, 1641, 1642, 1645, 1649, 1656, 1678 and 1714 are included under the topic Early Aiston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Aiston Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Aiston include Aston, Asten, Astyn, Astin, Astyne, Astley and others.

Early Notables of the Aiston family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Thomas de Aston, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1350; Hugh Aston (c. 1485-1558), an English composer; Sir Arthur Aston (1590-1649), English professional soldier who supported King Charles I in the English Civil War; Sir Thomas Aston, 1st Baronet (1600-1645), English politician who fought for the...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Aiston Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Aiston family to Ireland

Some of the Aiston family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Aiston family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Aiston or a variant listed above: Robert Aston, settled in Virginia in 1634; soon after the Mayflower; William Aston settled in Barbados in 1635; Edward in Barbados in 1634; James in Bermuda in 1635.

Contemporary Notables of the name Aiston (post 1700) +

Ms. Janet Mary Aiston C.B., British Director Wealthy and Mid-Sized Business Compliance for H.M. Revenue and Customs was appointed Companion of the Order of Bath on 17th June 2017, for services to Tax Payers and Tax Collection

Historic Events for the Aiston family +

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Joseph Aiston, English 2nd Class passenger residing in Brooklyn, New York, USA returning to England, who sailed aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 5

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/