Contents [hide]

Gaston History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Gaston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Gaston surname lived in the area referred to as the gearstun, which was the Old English word identifying someone who lived by a grass enclosure.

Early Origins of the Gaston family

The surname Gaston was first found in Surrey where they held a family seat from very ancient times.

Early History of the Gaston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gaston research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1210, 1327, 1332, 1379 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Gaston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gaston Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Gaston are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Gaston include: Gaston, Gastone and others.

Early Notables of the Gaston family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Gaston of Surrey

Gaston Ranking

In the United States, the name Gaston is the 1,323^rd most popular surname with an estimated 22,383 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Gaston is ranked the 1,970^th most popular surname with an estimated 3,157 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Gaston family to Ireland

Some of the Gaston family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gaston migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Gaston or a variant listed above:

Gaston Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Fra Gaston, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 3

Gaston Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Joseph Gaston, a Huguenot immigrant who arrived in Perth Amboy, NJ, in 1720 along with his brothers Alexander Hugh and John
Joseph Gaston, who landed in New Jersey in 1720 3
Guillaume Gaston, who was on record in Louisiana in 1721
William Gaston who landed in South Carolina in 1767
Mary Gaston, who landed in South Carolina in 1772 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gaston Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Gaston, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1813 3
John Gaston, who settled in New Orleans in 1821
John Gaston, who settled in New York in 1823
William Gaston, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1839 3
James Gaston, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1844 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gaston migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gaston Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Robert Gaston, who arrived in Quebec in 1834

Gaston migration to Australia +

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

Gaston Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Charles Gaston, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Somersetshire" in 1839 4
Mary Gaston, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Somersetshire" in 1839 4
Ann Gaston, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Somersetshire" in 1839 4
Alfred Gaston, aged 22, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Nabob"

Gaston 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:

Gaston Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

George Gaston, aged 19, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Tongariro" in 1888

Contemporary Notables of the name Gaston (post 1700) +

Bruce Gaston (1947-2021), American musician who lived in Thailand and helped pioneer a contemporary style of Thai classical music through the Fong Naam band, which he co-founded
Robert "Rab Roy" Gaston (1910-2000), American baseball catcher in the Negro Leagues who played from 1933 through 1948
Justin Michael Gaston (b. 1988), American singer-songwriter, model, and actor
Nathaniel Milton "Milt" Gaston (1896-1996), American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1924 to 1934
Michael Gaston (b. 1962), American film and television actor
Clarence Edwin "Cito" Gaston (b. 1944), former Major League Baseball player and manager of the Toronto Blue Jays (1989-1997) and (2008-2010), during which the team won two World Series titles (1992 and 1993) and two American League pennants
William Gaston (1820-1894), Governor of Massachusetts in 1875-1876
Alexander Gaston (d. 1781), American physician, surgeon, army captain in North Carolina
William J Gaston (1778-1844), American judge, orator, politician, and namesake of Gaston County, South Carolina, formed in 1846
Rosendo Alvarez Gaston (1926-2014), Spanish Roman Catholic bishop
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Gaston family +

Halifax Explosion

Mr. John Gaston (1847-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 5
Mrs. Charlotte Gaston (1848-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 5

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SOMERSETSHIRE 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Somersetshire.htm
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance