East History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 


The history of the East family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in the area of the town or village that was in the east. The surname originated in the southern counties of Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Essex.

However, another source claims the name could have been Norman in origin as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae list Amelot Best, or D'Est, was from Normandy in 1195. 1

Early Origins of the East family

The surname East was first found in Essex where they held a family seat from very early times in the town of Colchester. One of the first records of the name was Amelot Best, or D'Est, in Normandy in 1195. 1 But by the 13th century, the name was scattered throughout Britain with various spellings. The Hunderdorum Rolls of 1273 lists: Robert del Est in Cambridgeshire; Richard Est in Lincolnshire; and Geoffrey Est and Emma ate Estend in Oxfordshire. 2

There were two baronetcies created for persons with the surname East. The first was for William East of Hall Place who was High Sheriff of Berkshire in 1766. That title became extinct in 1828 with the death of the 2nd Baronet. The second was Edward Hyde East of Calcutta, India in 1823. He was Member of Parliament for Great Bedwyn (1792-1796) and Winchester (1823-1831.) And that title became extinct upon the death of the 2nd Baronet in 1878.

Through the female side Mary, daughter of Sir William East, 1st Baronet, of Hall Place married Sir East George Clayton to become baronets of Hall Place, Maidenhead in 1838.

Early History of the East family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our East research. Another 192 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1196, 1200, 1297, 1300, 1540, 1565, 1588, 1601, 1602, 1604, 1606, 1608, 1609, 1610, 1618, 1631, 1675, 1696, 1745 and 1776 are included under the topic Early East History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

East Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name East include East, Easte, Est, Eyst, Eyste and others.

Early Notables of the East family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

East Ranking

In the United States, the name East is the 2,620th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 4


East migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name East or a variant listed above:

East Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
East Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

East migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

East Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

East migration to Australia +

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

East Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

East 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:

East Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

East migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 10
East Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name East (post 1700) +


The East 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: J'avance
Motto Translation: I advance.
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