Asty History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Asty is one of the proud Scottish names to come from the Strathclyde clans of the Scottish/English Borderlands. It is derived from "the name of an ancestor, 'the son of Anastasia,' from the nickname Anstie, abbreviated to Astie." 1

Some sources note the Hastie variant could have been a nickname for someone who was "hasty, impatient." 2 3 4

Early Origins of the Asty family

The surname Asty was first found in Lanarkshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Lannraig) a former county in the central Strathclyde region of Scotland, now divided into the Council Areas of North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire, and the City of Glasgow.

"Robert Hasty and John Hasty were tenants of Herthornhill in 1376, Thom Hasti witnessed an instrument of sasine dated 1478, and John Haisty was witness to another instrument of sasine in 1525. " 5

Further to the south, the surname was typically found without the "H" prefix as the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Adam Asty, Kent; and John Asty, Norfolk. 1

Norfolk had some early entries for the name too: Thomas Asty, Norfolk, 1374; and Robert Asty, rector of West Herling, Norfolk, 1410. 6

Early History of the Asty family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Asty research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1523, 1543, 1556, 1567, 1595, 1626, 1672, 1730 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Asty History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Asty Spelling Variations

The many spelling variations in Medieval Scottish names result from the fact that scribes in that era spelled words according to sound. Translation too, was an undeveloped science, and many names were altered into complete obscurity. Over the years Asty has been spelled Hastie, Hasty, Asty and others.

Early Notables of the Asty family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

John Asty (1672?-1730), English dissenting clergyman, the son of Robert Asty of Norwich and grandson to the 'ejected' of Stratford, whose Christian name was John7...

Migration of the Asty family

To escape the uncertainties and discrimination faced in Scotland, many decided to head out for North America. Once they arrived, many Scots fought with relish in the American War of Independence; some went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Many ancestors of these Scots have recovered their lost national heritage in the 20th century through Clan organizations and Scottish historical societies. Among the settlers to North America were: William Hastie who settled in New England in 1685; Mary Hastie settled in Boston in 1848 with her husband and five children.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print