Overstreet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Overstreet surname is generally thought to be a habitational name, taken on from one of several places named Over, or Ower in Britain, such as Over in Cambridgeshire, in Cheshire and in Derbyshire. These place names are derived from the Old English "ofer," meaning "seashore," or "riverbank."

Early Origins of the Overstreet family

The surname Overstreet was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Over, held by Earl Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester and the northwest, who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

Early History of the Overstreet family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Overstreet research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1275 and 1524 are included under the topic Early Overstreet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Overstreet Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: over, overs and others.

Early Notables of the Overstreet family

More information is included under the topic Early Overstreet Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Overstreet Ranking

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

Overstreet migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Overstreet Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James Overstreet, who arrived in Virginia in 1699 3

Overstreet Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Cornelia Overstreet, who settled in America, in 1903
Marie Overstreet, who immigrated to America, in 1903
Mrs. R. Overstreet, who landed in America, in 1903
R. Overstreet, who settled in America, in 1903
Suzanne P. Overstreet, aged 28, who landed in America, in 1906
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Overstreet (post 1700) +

Tommy Overstreet (1937-2015), American country singer
James Whetstone Overstreet (1866-1938), American politician, U.S. Representative from Georgia
William Sparkman Overstreet (b. 1979), retired American football linebacker
James Overstreet (1773-1822), American politician, U.S. Representative from South Carolina
David Arthur Overstreet (1958-1984), American CFL and NFL football running back
Jesse E. Overstreet (1859-1910), American politician, U.S. Representative from Indiana
Chord Overstreet (b. 1989), American actor, singer and musician, best known for his role on the television series Glee
Paul Lester Overstreet (b. 1955), American country music singer and songwriter
Sergeant Major Harold G. Overstreet USMC (b. 1944), the 12th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (1991 to 1995)

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
"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)