Isted History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Isted family

The surname Isted was first found in Sussex where "the Isteds belong to an old Sussex family conjectured to have come from Eysted, in Sweden, and to have settled in Sussex in the reign of Edward III. " 1

Another source provides more details of the origin: "Probably of local English origin-Highstead, 'the lofty situation.' The family have, however, a tradition of a derivation 'from Eysted, a large maritime town in the province of Schonen, in the kingdom of Sweden.' It is conjectured that they settled at Framfield, co. Sussex, temp. Edward III." 2

But another source postulates the "surname is derived from a geographical locality. probably 'of Irstead,' a parish in Norfolk, twelve miles from Norwich." 3

Helewis' de Heghested was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1296 for Sussex. Thomas Highstede (1473) and Lawrance Histed (1494) were both listed in Cambridgeshire. In this case the name is believed to have originated in Highstead in Sittingbourne, Kent.4

Early History of the Isted family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Isted research. Another 159 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1076, 1084, 1135, 1406, 1510, 1523, 1547, 1553, 1554, 1557, 1600, 1610, 1621, 1631, 1662, 1692, 1702, 1703, 1732, 1740, 1778, 1799 and 1812 are included under the topic Early Isted History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Isted 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 Isted include Isted, Istead, Istede, Ysted, Ystede, Ystead and others.

Early Notables of the Isted family

Distinguished members of the family include

John Isted (fl. 1523-1557), an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Hastings in 1547, March 1553 and April 1554...

Isted 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 Isted or a variant listed above:

Isted Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Isted, who arrived in New York in 1822 5

Isted Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Miss. Mary Isted, aged 47, who arrived in America from London, England, in 1904
Harold John Isted, aged 31, who arrived in America from Middlesboro, England, in 1912

Contemporary Notables of the name Isted (post 1700) +

Harvey James Duke Isted (b. 1997), English professional footballer from Chichester, England who plays as a goalkeeper for EFL Championship side Luton Town
John Isted, English cricketer who played from Sussex in 1853
Naomi Isted (b. 1979), British fashion and beauty television presenter, columnist and blogger, born in Grimsby

Citations +

Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)