Show ContentsAusteene History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Austeene family name is derived from the given name Austin, which was the vernacular form of the Latin name "Augustus", meaning "majestic." As a personal name, Augustine was popular due to St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) who had a great influence on early Christianity, as well as St Augustine of Canterbury, first Archbishop of Canterbury, who founded the oldest see in England, in 597.

Early Origins of the Austeene family

The surname Austeene was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England, formerly part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia where they held a family seat from ancient times.

"A whole column of Austin appears in the London Directory. The name was made common by the Austin Friars, or Black Canons, as they were often styled from their black cloaks, who were established early in the 12th century in England, and possessed of about 170 houses." 1

"It is confined for the most part to the central and eastern counties of the south of England; and does not extend in any frequency north of Derbyshire or west of Dorset. The counties of Kent and Oxford contain the greatest numbers of Austins. In the thirteenth century it was a common name in Cambridgeshire." 2

Early History of the Austeene family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Austeene research. Another 156 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1379, 1538, 1580, 1613, 1629, 1641, 1642, 1643, 1645, 1650, 1660, 1661, 1664, 1666, 1667, 1669, 1676, 1679, 1681, 1683, 1696, 1697, 1699, 1701, 1706, 1728, 1734, 1743 and 1750 are included under the topic Early Austeene History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Austeene Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Austeene has undergone many spelling variations, including Austin, Austins, Austen, Austeane, Ostian, Ousteane, Owstyne, Ostiane and many more.

Early Notables of the Austeene family

Distinguished members of the family include John Austin or Austen (1613-1669), an English lawyer and controversial writer from Walpole, Suffolk; Katherine Austen (1629-ca.1683), English diarist and poet best known for Book M; Ralph Austen (died 1676), an English writer on gardening; Sir Robert Austen, 1st Baronet (c. 1580-1666) of Hall Place, Bexley, Kent, High Sheriff...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Austeene Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Austeene family to Ireland

Some of the Austeene family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Austeene family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Austeene were among those contributors: David Austin, an early saddle-bag preacher who was ordained in the Presbytery of New York in 1788; David arrived in New York by way of Antrim; John Austin, the great grandfather of Rutherford Hayes, known as the ".



  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.


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