Istead History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Istead family

The surname Istead was first found in Sussex where "the Isteds belong to an old Sussex family conjectured to have come from Eysted, in Sweden, and to have settled in Sussex in the reign of Edward III. " 1

Another source provides more details of the origin: "Probably of local English origin-Highstead, 'the lofty situation.' The family have, however, a tradition of a derivation 'from Eysted, a large maritime town in the province of Schonen, in the kingdom of Sweden.' It is conjectured that they settled at Framfield, co. Sussex, temp. Edward III." 2

But another source postulates the "surname is derived from a geographical locality. probably 'of Irstead,' a parish in Norfolk, twelve miles from Norwich." 3

Helewis' de Heghested was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1296 for Sussex. Thomas Highstede (1473) and Lawrance Histed (1494) were both listed in Cambridgeshire. In this case the name is believed to have originated in Highstead in Sittingbourne, Kent.4

Early History of the Istead family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Istead research. Another 159 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1076, 1084, 1135, 1406, 1510, 1523, 1547, 1553, 1554, 1557, 1600, 1610, 1621, 1631, 1662, 1692, 1702, 1703, 1732, 1740, 1778, 1799 and 1812 are included under the topic Early Istead History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Istead 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 Istead 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. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Istead include: Isted, Istead, Istede, Ysted, Ystede, Ystead and others.

Early Notables of the Istead family

Distinguished members of the family include John Isted (fl. 1523-1557), an English politician, Member of the Parliament for Hastings in 1547, March 1553 and April 1554. Edward Hasted (1732-1812) was an English antiquarian and pioneering historian of his ancestral home county of Kent, best known for his book, The History and Topographical...
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Istead Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Istead family

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 Istead or a variant listed above: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands..

Citations +

Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)