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| Origins Available: |
| | Germany |
The German province known as the Rhineland is the ancestral home of the Fister family. The German people originally used only one name, but as the population grew there was often confusion between people of the same name. This required people to adopt hereditary surnames. Many people took surnames based on nicknames - sometimes known as eke-names - that described certain personal characteristics. Fister is a name for a person who was strong and pugnacious and was derived from the Old German word "fust," which meant "fist."
The surname Fister was first found in Strasbourg, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family in Bavaria and in the Rhine region with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fister research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1480, 1540 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Fister History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Fister include Faust, Fauste, Fausst, Fausste, Fauss, Fausse and others.
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fister Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Between the 17th and 20th centuries, hundreds of thousands of Europeans came to North America, and many Rhinelanders were among them. They had many various reasons for making the choice: to escape poverty and persecution, for adventure, and for the opportunity to own their own land. Ellis Island, one of the main American immigration centers, saw many settlers as they moved on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, they found homes in Ontario, and on the great plains of the Midwestern provinces. The Fister were among of the early German families that came to North America: