Show ContentsMosten History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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

Early Origins of the Mosten family

The surname Mosten 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 Mosten family

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

Mosten Spelling Variations

There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Mosten have included Mostyn, Mostin, Mostyne, Mosten, Mostine and others.

Early Notables of the Mosten family

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


United States Mosten migration to the United States +

North America in the 1800s and 1900s saw the arrival of many Welsh people hoping to share in the wealth of land, work, and freedom that they felt North America held. Those who made the journey often attained those expectations, but only through an enormous amount of hard work, perseverance, and often a bout of good luck. These immigrants helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and culture of both Canada and the United States. Discovered in the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Mosten:

Mosten Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Robert Mosten, who arrived in Maryland in 1669 2
Mosten Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Mosten, who arrived in North America in 1750


The Mosten 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.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. 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)


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