Liston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:

Scotland

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The chronicles of the Liston family show that the name was first used in the Scottish/English Borderlands by the Strathclyde-Britons. It was a name for a person who lived at Liston, an old barony, now included in the parish of Kirkliston. "This parish, of which about one-fourth lies in the county of Edinburgh, and three-fourths in that of Linlithgow, was formerly called Temple-Liston, an appellation partly acquired from the knights Templars, who obtained the chief lands in the twelfth century. The ancient name of Liston is supposed to have been derived from some considerable family residing here, or from the Celtic term lioston, signifying "an inclosure on the side of a river," and exactly answering to the locality. Upon the dissolution of the fraternity of Knights Templars, the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem became owners of their large estates in this district, which they held till the Reformation." 1

Early Origins of the Liston family

The surname Liston was first found in Kirkliston, a parish, partly in the county of Edinburgh, but chiefly in that of Linlithgow. One of the first records of the family was Roger de Liston, who witnessed a charter by Richard, bishop of St. Andrews in 1163, and again, before 1173, he witnessed the gift of the church of Hadintona by the same bishop. About 1260, Robert de Liston was chaplain of William, bishop of St. Andrews. 2

Further to the south, some of the family could have originated in the parish of Liston in the union of Sudbury, hundred of Hinckford in Essex. In fact, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, list Thomas de Liston as holding lands there at that time. The same rolls list Geoffrey de Lyston in Cambridgeshire. 3

The Feet of Fines of 1235-1236 listed Geoffrey de Liston in Essex and later John de Liston was listed in the Feet of Fines for Surrey for 1307-1309. 4

Early History of the Liston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Liston research. Another 127 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1163, 1296, 1334, 1482, 1501, 1668, 1794 and 1847 are included under the topic Early Liston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Liston Spelling Variations

The origin of rules governing the spelling of names and even words is a very recent innovation. Before that, words and names were spelled according to sound, and, therefore, often appeared under several different spelling variations in a single document. Liston has been spelled Liston, Lyston, Listen and others.

Early Notables of the Liston family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Robert Liston (1794-1847), a pioneering Scottish surgeon...
He invented locking forceps and the Liston splint...

Liston Ranking

In the United States, the name Liston is the 7,895^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Liston family to Ireland

Some of the Liston family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Liston migration to the United States +

The persecution faced in their homeland left many Scots with little to do but sail for the colonies of North America. There they found land, freedom, opportunity, and nations in the making. They fought for their freedom in the American War of Independence, or traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In both cases, they made enormous contributions to the formation of those great nations. Among them:

Liston Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Morris Liston, who arrived in Maryland in 1665 6

Liston Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John and Elizabeth Liston, who arrived in New York in 1811
Eliza Liston, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 6
John Liston, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 6
Andrew Liston, who landed in Charleston, South Carolina in 1813 6
Michael Liston, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1856
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Liston migration to Australia +

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

Liston Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Margaret Liston, aged 29, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Sultana" 7
Mary Liston, aged 22, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Sultana" 7
Henrietta Liston, aged 20, a domestic servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "James Fernie" 8
Mr. Edward Liston, (b. 1862), aged 21, English gas fitter, from Surrey, England, UK travelling aboard the ship "Dallam Tower" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 1st November 1883 9
Mrs. Catherine Liston, (b. 1851), aged 32, English settler travelling aboard the ship "Dallam Tower" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 1st November 1883 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Liston (post 1700) +

Charles L "Sonny" Liston (1932-1970), American formidable boxer who became world heavyweight champion in 1962
Larry Liston (b. 1952), American politician, Member of the Colorado House of Representatives (2005-)
Virginia Liston (1890-1932), American classic female blues and jazz singer
Melba Doretta Liston (1926-1999), American jazz trombonist, musical arranger, and composer
Patricia Maureen "Tricia" Liston (b. 1992), American gold medalist professional basketball player
Emil S. "Liz" Liston (1890-1949), American athletic coach and administrator at Wesleyan University and Baker University, posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975
Edward J. Liston Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1980 10
Robert Liston (1730-1796), Scottish Minister, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Sir Robert Liston GCB, PC (1742-1836), Scottish-born, British diplomat, Ambassador to Sweden (1788-1793), Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (1793-1796)
Henry Liston (1771-1836), Scottish minister and inventor of a pipe organ he called the "Euharmonic Organ"
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Liston 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: Poco a poca
Motto Translation: By little and little.