Show ContentsAnster History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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  • England
Anster Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Anster

What does the name Anster mean?

The surname Anster has multiple possible origins. First of all, the name could have been from L’Estre, near Valognes, Normandy. 1 In this case, the first record of the family was that of Richard de l’Estre who held lands in Dorset from the time of the Conquest. 2 The same rolls includes an entry for William del Estre, Devon, Henry III-Edward I. 3 In 1165, Richard de l’Estre held a barony of four knights’ fees in Somerset 4

Secondly, the name could have been a nickname for someone who has a connection with the Christian festival of Easter, such as someone born or baptized at that time. 5

Finally, the name could have been derived from a group of villages so named in Essex having derived from the Old English word "eowestre," meaning sheepfold 6 or the Anglo-Saxon word Eásthere or Esthere, derived from "East" + the Old English word "here" meaning "army." 7

Early Origins of the Anster family

The surname Anster was first found in Essex. 8 9 A scan of early 12th century records show Jordan del estre in Leicestershire and later the Feet of Fines for Cambridgeshire included Robert del Estre in 1272. John de Estre was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1345. 6

By the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the name was more widespread as that census includes entries for Robert de le Estre, Suffolk; and Robert del Ester, Cambridgeshire. 3

Early History of the Anster family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Anster research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1783 and 1848 are included under the topic Early Anster History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Anster Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Astor, Aster, Astur, Astorr, Asterr, Asturr, Estor, Ester, Esturr, Astoria, Estoria, E'Stur, Stur and many more.

Early Notables of the Anster family

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

Anster migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Anster or a variant listed above:

Anster Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Nathaniel Anster, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Anster (post 1700) +

  • John Anster (1793-1867), Irish regius professor of civil law in the university of Dublin and translator of Goethe's 'Faust,' son of John Anster, Esq., of Charleville, co. Cork 11
  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Liber Niger Scutarii ("Black Book of the Exchequer"), containing reports by county on feudal holdings in England in 1166 (reign of Henry II)
  5. Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
  6. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  7. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  8. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  9. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  10. 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)
  11. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 17 Apr. 2019

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