Show ContentsAust History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

A people of the Scottish/English Borderlands known as the Strathclyde Britons were the first to use the name Aust. It is derived from the Gaelic Mac Austain meaning "son of Austin."

Early Origins of the Aust family

The surname Aust was first found in Scotland where "the Austins appear first on record as allies and supporters of the Keiths. The name was variously spelt, though in ancient records it was generally begun with Ou or Ow. Of curious interest as showing an early connection between the families is the occurrence in 1587 of the name of Alexander Ousteane, burgess of Edinburgh, as one of the cautioners for George Keith, Earl Marshall, in an action raised against him, by Margaret Erskine, Lady Pitcarie. In the same year Alexander Oisteane, no doubt the same person, was a parliamentary representative of the Burgh of Edinburgh. In 1589 Walter Oustene, a tenant in Lochquhan (a possession of the Keith family), was one of the subscribers to a Bond of Caution imposed on a number of the landed men in the shires of Aberdeen and Kincardine, binding them to keep the peace in the struggles with the Catholic party beaded by Huntly" (D. W. Stewart, Old and rare Scottish tartans). " 1

Early History of the Aust family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Aust research. Another 151 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1376, 1448, 1503, 1566, 1574, 1583, 1584, 1593, 1594, 1676, 1681, 1699, 1755, 1800, 1820 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Aust History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Aust Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were hardly exact sciences in Medieval Scotland. Sound, rather than any set of rules, was the basis for spellings, so one name was often spelled different ways even within a single document. Spelling variations are thus an extremely common occurrence in Medieval Scottish names. Aust has been spelled Austin, Austins, Austen, Austeane, Ostian, Ousteane, Owstyne, Ostiane and many more.

Early Notables of the Aust family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • John Austin (fl. 1820), a Scotch inventor and native of Craigton...
  • Austin, Glasgow...

Aust Ranking

In the United States, the name Aust is the 11,416th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Ireland Migration of the Aust family to Ireland

Some of the Aust family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Aust migration to the United States +

Such hard times forced many to leave their homeland in search of opportunity across the Atlantic. Many of these families settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. The ancestors of many of these families have rediscovered their roots in the 20th century through the establishment of Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Among them:

Aust Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johan Philips Aust, who arrived in New York in 1709 3
Aust Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Juan Aust, who arrived in Nombre de Dios, Panama in 1836 3
  • Wilhelm Aust, aged 27, who landed in New York, NY in 1849 3
  • Mary Aust, aged 50, who landed in America, in 1896
Aust Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Arthur Aust, aged 48, who landed in America from Egremont, England, in 1907
  • Herman Aust, aged 0, who immigrated to the United States from Coteruberg, Germany, in 1908
  • Mary Annie Aust, aged 31, who immigrated to America from Abercynor, Wales, in 1911
  • Frank Sydney Aust, aged 32, who immigrated to the United States from Abercynor, Wales, in 1911
  • Henry Aust, aged 47, who settled in America, in 1911
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Aust migration to Australia +

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

Aust Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Uriah Aust, (b. 1820), aged 22, English stone mason who was convicted in Somerset, England for 14 years for burglary, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 4th October 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Aust (post 1700) +

  • Abner Maurice Aust Jr. (1921-2020), American flying ace in the 506th Fighter Group during World War II
  • Dennis Kay Aust (b. 1940), American former Major League Baseball pitcher
  • Abner M. Aust, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories
  • Mrs. John R. Aust, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Tennessee, 1928, 1936 5
  • Gil Aust, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Alabama 5th District, 1998 5
  • Sarah Aust (1744-1811), English topographical writer
  • Otto Aust (1892-1943), Swedish bronze medalist sailor who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics
  • Stefan Aust (b. 1946), German journalist and was the editor-in-chief of the weekly news magazine Der Spiegel


The Aust Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Crux nostra corona
Motto Translation: The cross is our crown.


  1. 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)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-gray
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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