Show ContentsCostin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient roots of the Costin family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Costin comes from when the family lived near a notable chestnut tree. The surname is derived from Anglo-French casteyn, which means chestnut. As such, Costin is a member of the topographic class of surnames, which were given to people who resided near noticeable physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of tree. However, Costin may also belong to the category of habitation surnames which were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. In this case, the surname Costin is derived from the parish of Caston which lies near Watton in the county of Norfolk.

Early Origins of the Costin family

The surname Costin was first found in Norfolk, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Costin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Costin research. Another 218 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1200, 1273, 1327, 1349, 1369, 1415, 1500, 1604, 1790 and 1796 are included under the topic Early Costin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Costin Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Costin has appeared include Caston, Catestune, Casteyn, Cateston, Coston, Caustun, Castine, Castin, Castoun and many more.

Early Notables of the Costin family

Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Costin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Costin Ranking

In the United States, the name Costin is the 13,553rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Costin migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Costin arrived in North America very early:

Costin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Henry Costin, who landed in Maryland in 1657 2

Canada Costin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Costin Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Costin, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1823
  • Patrick Costin, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1837
  • Patrick Costin, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1843

Australia Costin migration to Australia +

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

Costin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Richard Costin, British convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Competitor"18th March 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Costin (post 1700) +

  • Private Henry Gilbert Costin (1898-1918), United States Army soldier awarded the Medal of Honor
  • Thomas Patrick Costin Jr. (b. 1926), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 1956, 1960; Mayor of Lynn, Massachusetts, 1956-61 4
  • Robert Costin, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Wyoming, 1972 4
  • Frank Costin (1920-1995), British automotive engineer
  • Mike Costin, who with Keith Duckworth founded Cosworth in 1958, a company specializing in engines for automobile racing

HMS Repulse
  • Mr. Steven John Costin, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 5


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/competitor
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  5. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook