Show ContentsBuist History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Buist surname occurs in Normandy in the 12th century where Ernaud and Roger Boiste (or Buiste) are said to occur there in 1198. [1]

Early Origins of the Buist family

The surname Buist was first found in Fife, where they were granted lands under the name Bois Arnold. In 1130 Ernald de Bosco was holding Arnald in the county of Leicestershire, and Little Halton and Braefield in Northampton and other lands in the honor of Huntingdon. They moved north with David, Earl of Huntingdon, and were granted lands, and Peter Buist was shown as Chief of that Clan. One source notes that Peter Buste was listed at Auchtermuchty, Fifeshire in 1360. [2]

Early History of the Buist family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Buist research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1203, 1521, 1584, 1589, 1620, 1687 and 1697 are included under the topic Early Buist History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Buist Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Boyst, Buist, Boist, Bosco and others.

Early Notables of the Buist family

Notable among the family at this time was

  • Janet Buist of Scone


United States Buist migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Buist Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Buist, who settled in America in 1698
Buist Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • George Buist, who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1793
  • George Buist, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1793 [3]
Buist Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Robert Buist, who settled in Philadelphia in 1828
  • William Buist, who settled in Philadelphia in 1832
  • William Buist, who landed in America in 1832 [3]
  • David Buist, who landed in America in 1833 [3]
  • David Buist, who settled in New York in 1833
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Buist migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Buist Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Buist who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 24th March 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [4]

New Zealand Buist migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Buist Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • David Buist, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Zealandia" in 1861

Contemporary Notables of the name Buist (post 1700) +

  • George Buist LL.D. (1805-1860), Scottish journalist and scientist, son of the Rev. J. Buist, and was born at Tannadice, Forfarshire, on 22 Nov. 1805 [5]
  • John Latto Farquharson "Ian" Buist CB (1930-2012), British diplomat who worked in Kenya and East Africa during the 1950s
  • Alfred George Buist (1883-1907), English footballer who made 83 appearances in the Football League for Lincoln City playing as a goalkeeper (1904-1907)
  • Dr. Richard Buist, Canadian scientist at the Department of Radiology, University of Manitoba, Canada
  • Andy Buist (b. 1984), English rugby union player
  • Teddy Buist (b. 1885), Australian rules footballer
  • Grant Buist (b. 1973), New Zealand cartoonist and animator, creator of the strip "Brunswick"
  • Commander Colin Buist, Equerry to the Queen of England


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. 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)
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
  5. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 5 Feb. 2019


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