Mosteller History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales

The ancestors of the bearers of the Mosteller surname lived in or near the Welsh settlement of Mostyn in Whitford. The surname Mosteller belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Mosteller family

The surname Mosteller was first found in Flintshire (Welsh: Sir y Fflint), a historic county, created after the defeat of the Welsh Kingdom of Gwynedd in 1284, and located in north-east Wales, where they were descended from one of the fifteen noble tribes of Wales. In the 12th century they were Lords of the Manor of Mostyn, seated at Mostyn Hall. At the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086 Mostyn, was held by Robert of Rhuddlan from whom they may also be conjecturally descended. Another branch of the family was found in Moston, Cheshire. "The manor, in old records "Moreston," was given about 1125 to the convent of St. Werburgh, under which an estate was held here by a family who took their name from the township." 1

Early History of the Mosteller family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mosteller research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1567, 1621, 1622, 1642 and 1925 are included under the topic Early Mosteller History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mosteller Spelling Variations

Compared to other ancient cultures found in the British Isles, the number of Welsh surnames are relatively few, but there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations. These spelling variations began almost as soon as surname usage became common. As a result, people could not specify how to spell their own names leaving the specific recording up to the individual scribe or priest. Those recorders would then spell the names as they heard them, causing many different variations. Later, many Welsh names were recorded in English. This transliteration process was extremely imprecise since the Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh used many sounds the English language was not accustomed to. Finally, some variations occurred by the individual's design: a branch loyalty within a family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The Mosteller name over the years has been spelled Mostyn, Mostin, Mostyne, Mosten, Mostine and others.

Early Notables of the Mosteller family

More information is included under the topic Early Mosteller Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mosteller Ranking

In the United States, the name Mosteller is the 14,535^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Mosteller migration to the United States +

Many Welsh joined the great migrations to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like their Scottish and Irish neighbors, many Welsh families left their homeland hoping to find hope and prosperity in a land that the English did not exercise a tight rule over. Those Welsh immigrants that successfully traveled to North America went on to make significant contributions to the rapid development of both Canada and the United States in terms of the settling of land and the establishment of industry. They also added to the rich cultural heritage of both countries. An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Mosteller:

Mosteller Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Peter Mosteller, who landed in North Carolina in 1737 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Mosteller (post 1700) +

Parris Hank Mosteller, American child actor, best known for his role as Stink in Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer
Charles Frederick Mosteller (1916-2006), American statistician, founding chairman of Harvard's statistics department
Teri Mosteller, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 2004 4
Harvey Mosteller, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles, California, 1945 4
Cyndi Campsen Mosteller, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from South Carolina, 2008 4
Brandy Mosteller, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from West Virginia, 2000 4
Sue Mosteller C.S.J. (b. 1933), Canadian writer

The Mosteller 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: Auxilium meum a Domino
Motto Translation: My help is from the Lord.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html