Contents [hide]

East History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

East History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The history of the East family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in the area of the town or village that was in the east. The surname originated in the southern counties of Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Essex.

However, another source claims the name could have been Norman in origin as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae list Amelot Best, or D'Est, was from Normandy in 1195. 1

Early Origins of the East family

The surname East was first found in Essex where they held a family seat from very early times in the town of Colchester. One of the first records of the name was Amelot Best, or D'Est, in Normandy in 1195. 1 But by the 13th century, the name was scattered throughout Britain with various spellings. The Hunderdorum Rolls of 1273 lists: Robert del Est in Cambridgeshire; Richard Est in Lincolnshire; and Geoffrey Est and Emma ate Estend in Oxfordshire. 2

There were two baronetcies created for persons with the surname East. The first was for William East of Hall Place who was High Sheriff of Berkshire in 1766. That title became extinct in 1828 with the death of the 2nd Baronet. The second was Edward Hyde East of Calcutta, India in 1823. He was Member of Parliament for Great Bedwyn (1792-1796) and Winchester (1823-1831.) And that title became extinct upon the death of the 2nd Baronet in 1878.

Through the female side Mary, daughter of Sir William East, 1st Baronet, of Hall Place married Sir East George Clayton to become baronets of Hall Place, Maidenhead in 1838.

Early History of the East family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our East research. Another 192 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1196, 1200, 1297, 1300, 1540, 1565, 1588, 1601, 1602, 1604, 1606, 1608, 1609, 1610, 1618, 1631, 1675, 1696, 1745 and 1776 are included under the topic Early East History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

East 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 East include East, Easte, Est, Eyst, Eyste and others.

Early Notables of the East family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Thomas East (also spelt Est, Este, and Easte) (1540?-1608?), the English printer and music publisher who was made a freeman of the Stationers' Company on 6 Dec. 1565. 3 He was one of the most imp...
Michael Est, East, Easte is conjectured to have been a son of Thomas Este, the noted music printer. He first appeared in print as a composer, in 'The Triumphes of Oriana,' 1601, to which he contribute...
Edward East (1602-1696), was an English watchmaker and clockmaker to King Charles I; some of his work can be found in the British Museum and South Kensington Museum

East Ranking

In the United States, the name East is the 2,620^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 4

East migration to the United States +

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 East or a variant listed above:

East Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard East who landed with his family in Virginia in 1623
Richard East, who landed in Virginia in 1623 5
William East, aged 23, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Paul" 5
Francis East, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1636 5
William East, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

East Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Francis East, who settled in Tobago, on one of the southern islands
James East, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1850 5
James J East, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1850 5
J East, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 5
Margaret East, aged 52, who landed in New York in 1862 5

East migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

East Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Danl East, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Sophia East, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Daniel East, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750

East migration to Australia +

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

East Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Ann East who was convicted in Ripon, Yorkshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Edward" on 23rd April 1834, arriving in Tasmania, (Van Diemen's Land) 6
Miss Mary East, (Hawkins), English convict who was convicted in London, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 20th June 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Samuel East, aged 43, a wheelwright, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "Africaine" in 1836 8
Mary Ann East, aged 42, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "Africaine" in 1836 8
Samuel East, aged 19, a wheelwright, who arrived in Holdfast Bay, Australia aboard the ship "Africaine" in 1836 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

East 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:

East Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Alfred W. East, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th September 1853 9
Mrs. Annie East, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 30th September 1853 9
Miss Sarah East, (b. 1830), aged 27, British upholsterer and miliner travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Glentanner" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd October 1857 9
Mr. Harry East, (b. 1840), aged 17, British upholsterer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Glentanner" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd October 1857 9
Mr. Frank W East, (b. 1844), aged 13, British settler travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Glentanner" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd October 1857 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

East migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 10

East Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. William East, (b. 1620), aged 15, British settler travelling aboard the ship "The Dorset" arriving in Barbados in September 1635 11

Contemporary Notables of the name East (post 1700) +

Robert John "Bobby" East (1984-2022), American professional stock car racing driver who raced in USAC, ARCA, and NASCAR
Ronald Allan East (b. 1943), former American NFL football defensive tackle
Jeff East (1957-1978), American actor, best-known for his role Superman (1978)
John Porter East (1931-1986), American politician, Republican U.S. senator from the state of North Carolina
Nathan Harrell East (b. 1955), American jazz, R&B and rock bass player and vocalist
Walter R. East, American basketball head coach for the Akron Zips in 1909
Clyde B. East, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 13 aerial victories
Nathan East, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Texas State House of Representatives 31st District, 1994 12
John Rufus East (1845-1907), American politician, Member of Indiana State House of Representatives, 1897 12
John Porter East (1931-1986), American Republican politician, Candidate for Secretary of State of North Carolina, 1968; Presidential Elector for North Carolina, 1972; U.S. Senator from North Carolina, 1981-86 12
... (Another 16 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the East family +

HMS Dorsetshire

Rupert Donald East, British Lieutenant Commander (Meteorology) aboard the HMS Dorsetshire (1945) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 13

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Ronald East, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 14

The East Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: J'avance
Motto Translation: I advance.

Citations +

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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th January 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/edward
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) AFRICAINE 1836. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1836Africaine.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html