Cester History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Cester

What does the name Cester mean?

The name Cester is derived from the Middle English word "costard" which is "‘a prominently ribbed apple, a kind of large apple, but the word was evidently also known as a personal name." 1 Later, it defined a person who made a type of apple dumpling, a delicacy popular in early days. The final "d" from variants like Costard and Costerd was frequently dropped in later years.

In France the word "castor" literally translates as "beaver." And in this case as in the former, the name is understood to be an occupational name.

Early Origins of the Cester family

The surname Cester was first found in Lincolnshire where Alexander filius Costard was registered in the Pipe Rolls of 1203. In the Latin for, Roger Costardus was listed in Norfolk 1175-1186 and later Richard Costard was found in the Assize Rolls for Wiltshire in 1249. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Reginald Costard, Gloucestershire; Emma Costard, Oxfordshire; and Richard Costard, Cambridgeshire and later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included an entry for Thomas Costard. 2

The source Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III had two entries for the family: John Costard, Lincolnshire; and Margery Costard, Lincolnshire.

Early History of the Cester family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cester research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1420, 1710 and 1782 are included under the topic Early Cester History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cester Spelling Variations

Coster, Costar, Costard, Costerman

Early Notables of the Cester family

Robert Coster who married Grace Pendarves, daughter of Sir William Pendarves of St. Ives. Richard Caistor (d. 1420), was an English theologian, "said to have been born at Caistor, near Norwich, from...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cester Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cester family

John Costard who settled in Virginia in 1622; John Costar landed in New York in 1823; F. Costar arrived in San Francisco in 1823; Jan Coster arrived in New York in 1661; Joshua Coster arrived in New England in 1774.

Contemporary Notables of the name Cester (post 1700) +

Christopher Cester (b. 1981), drummer and backing vocalist from Australian rock band "Jet"
Nicholas "Nic" John Cester (b. 1979), Australian musician

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)