Jester Surname History

Origins Available:
England

The Jester name, like many surnames, is most likely occupational in origin, coming from the Old French "geste," meaning "joke" or "exploits" or the Middle English "gester," meaning "buffoon, mimic or professional reciter of romances." The first bearer of the name would therefore probably be a jester by profession, though at the time jesters were closer to the latter meaning of one who recites romances, than to the modern concept of the court fool. It is also possible that the name originated as a nickname, being given to one who displayed jester-like characteristics.

Early Origins of the Jester family

The surname Jester was first found in Colchester, where the name first appeared in the late 14th century.

Early History of the Jester family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jester research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1377, 1665, 1666 and 1802 are included under the topic Early Jester History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jester Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Jester, Gestour, Gester and others.

Early Notables of the Jester family

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

Jester Ranking

In the United States, the name Jester is the 6,360^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Jester migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Jester or a variant listed above were:

Jester Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Elias Jester, aged 38, who landed in America, in 1894
Mrs. A. JEster, aged 37, who landed in America, in 1894
Jacob Jester, aged 26, who landed in America, in 1896

Jester Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Claude W. Jester, who immigrated to the United States, in 1904
William Jester, aged 41, who settled in America, in 1904
Mrs. L.L. Jester, who immigrated to America, in 1905
James Jester, aged 43, who immigrated to the United States, in 1905
Louis Jester, aged 25, who immigrated to the United States, in 1906
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Jester (post 1700) +

Virgil Milton Jester (1927-2016), American Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1952 to 1953
George Taylor Jester (1847-1922), American politician, Lieutenant Governor of Texas (1895 to 1899), father of Beauford H. Jester
Beauford H. Jester (1893-1949), American politician, Governor of Texas (1947 to 1949)
Tom Jester, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Texas State House of Representatives 64th District, 1998 2
Perry Northen Jester (1902-1982), American politician, U.S. Consul in Barbados, 1935-36; Southampton, 1937-39; Lagos, 1940-42; Colombo, 1947-48; U.S. Consul General in Dakar, 1949 2
Manlove Howard Jester, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Wilmington, Delaware, 1909-13 2
John Boone Jester (1895-1938), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Delaware, 1936 2
George Taylor Jester (1846-1922), American politician, Lieutenant Governor of Texas, 1895-98 2
Doug Jester, American politician, Mayor of East Lansing, Michigan, 1995-97 2
Beauford Halbert Jester (1893-1949), American Democratic Party politician, Governor of Texas, 1947-49; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1948 2
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html