Contents [hide]

Austen History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Austen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The ancient name Austen was first used by the Strathclyde people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. The name is derived from the Gaelic Mac Austain meaning "son of Austin."

Early Origins of the Austen family

The surname Austen 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 Austen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Austen 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 Austen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Austen Spelling Variations

Surnames that evolved in Scotland in the Middle Ages often appear under many spelling variations. These are due to the practice of spelling according to sound in the era before dictionaries had standardized the English language. Austen has appeared as Austin, Austins, Austen, Austeane, Ostian, Ousteane, Owstyne, Ostiane and many more.

Early Notables of the Austen family

Notable amongst the family at this time was John Austin (fl. 1820), a Scotch inventor and native of Craigton. He published at Glasgow, in or about 1800, a system of 'Stenography which may be learned in an hour,' on a single folio engraved sheet, price 2s. 6d. A note at the end announces the publication of a complete system by the same author, price...
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Austen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Austen family to Ireland

Some of the Austen 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.

Austen migration to the United States +

The North American colonies beckoned, with their ample land and opportunity as their freedom from the persecution suffered by so many Clan families back home. Many Scots even fought against England in the American War of Independence to gain this freedom. Recently, clan societies have allowed the ancestors of these brave Scottish settlers to rediscover their familial roots. Among them:

Austen Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jonas Austen, from Kent, who landed in New England in 1634 aboard the ship "Hercules", bound for Cambrdige 2
Jonas Austen, Jr., who arrived in New England in 1634 aboard the ship "Hercules" 2
Mrs. Constance Austen, who landed in New England in 1634 aboard the ship "Hercules" 2
Child Austen, who arrived in New England in 1634 aboard the ship "Hercules" 2
Lidia Austen, who arrived in New England in 1634 aboard the ship "Hercules" 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Austen migration to Australia +

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

Austen Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

James Austen, English convict from Kent, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on May 29, 1828, settling in New South Wales, Australia 3
Mr. James Austen, (Austin), (b. 1817), aged 23, English convict who was convicted in Berkshire, England for 15 years for assault, transported aboard the "Eden" on 8th July 1840, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1840 4
Charles Austen, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Monsoon"
Mr. George Austen, English convict who was convicted in Rochester, Kent, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Belgravia" on 4th April 1866, arriving in Western Australia 5

Austen 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:

Austen Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

George Austen, aged 21, a farm labourer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Hannibal" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Austen (post 1700) +

Jane Austen (1775-1817), British author, who wrote Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1816), featured on the 2017 British £10 note 6
Alice Austen (1866-1952), American photographer
Sir Francis William Austen GCB (1774-1865), British officer in the Royal Navy, Admiral of the Fleet, brother of Jane Austen 6
Colin "Col" Austen (1920-1995), Australian rules footballer
Don Austen, English puppeteer, known for his work with Jim Henson on the movies Labyrinth, Santa Claus: The Movie (1985), The Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) and many more
Sir John Austen (d. 1742), 1st Baronet, was a British landowner and politician, Member of Parliament for Middlesex (1701-1702)
Sir Robert Austen (1708-1772), 7th Baronet of Hall Place, Bexley
Sir Edward Austen (1705-1760), 6th Baronet of Hall Place, Bexley
Sir Sheffield Austen (1700-1758), 5th Baronet of Hall Place, Bexley
Ernest Edward Austen (1867-1938), English entomologist
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Austen 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.

Citations +

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)
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 Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 24) Albion voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1828 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1828
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th October 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/belgravia
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 6 June 2019