Contents [hide]

Gaston History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Gaston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

As a French surname, Gaston is patronymic, that is, it was originally formed from the first name of the father of the original bearer of the name. Gaston has remained a popular first name in France. The ultimate origins of this name are Germanic; from the German word "gast," meaning "host."

Early Origins of the Gaston family

The surname Gaston was first found in Languedoc.

Early History of the Gaston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gaston research. The years 1171 and 1215 are included under the topic Early Gaston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gaston Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Gaston, Gastou, Gastone, Gastau and others.

Early Notables of the Gaston family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

Centule Gaston (1171-1215) "le jeune et le Bon" (the younger and the good) one of the viscounts of Béarn who bore this name

Gaston Ranking

In the United States, the name Gaston is the 1,323^rd most popular surname with an estimated 22,383 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Gaston is ranked the 1,970^th most popular surname with an estimated 3,157 people with that name. 2

Gaston migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gaston Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Fra Gaston, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 3

Gaston Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Joseph Gaston, a Huguenot immigrant who arrived in Perth Amboy, NJ, in 1720 along with his brothers Alexander Hugh and John
Joseph Gaston, who landed in New Jersey in 1720 3
Guillaume Gaston, who was on record in Louisiana in 1721
William Gaston who landed in South Carolina in 1767
Mary Gaston, who landed in South Carolina in 1772 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gaston Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Gaston, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1813 3
John Gaston, who settled in New Orleans in 1821
John Gaston, who settled in New York in 1823
William Gaston, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1839 3
James Gaston, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1844 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Gaston migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Gaston Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Robert Gaston, who arrived in Quebec in 1834

Gaston migration to Australia +

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

Gaston Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Charles Gaston, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Somersetshire" in 1839 4
Mary Gaston, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Somersetshire" in 1839 4
Ann Gaston, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Somersetshire" in 1839 4
Alfred Gaston, aged 22, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1856 aboard the ship "Nabob"

Gaston 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:

Gaston Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

George Gaston, aged 19, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Tongariro" in 1888

Contemporary Notables of the name Gaston (post 1700) +

Bruce Gaston (1947-2021), American musician who lived in Thailand and helped pioneer a contemporary style of Thai classical music through the Fong Naam band, which he co-founded
Robert "Rab Roy" Gaston (1910-2000), American baseball catcher in the Negro Leagues who played from 1933 through 1948
Justin Michael Gaston (b. 1988), American singer-songwriter, model, and actor
Nathaniel Milton "Milt" Gaston (1896-1996), American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1924 to 1934
Michael Gaston (b. 1962), American film and television actor
Clarence Edwin "Cito" Gaston (b. 1944), former Major League Baseball player and manager of the Toronto Blue Jays (1989-1997) and (2008-2010), during which the team won two World Series titles (1992 and 1993) and two American League pennants
William Gaston (1820-1894), Governor of Massachusetts in 1875-1876
Alexander Gaston (d. 1781), American physician, surgeon, army captain in North Carolina
William J Gaston (1778-1844), American judge, orator, politician, and namesake of Gaston County, South Carolina, formed in 1846
Rosendo Alvarez Gaston (1926-2014), Spanish Roman Catholic bishop
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Gaston family +

Halifax Explosion

Mr. John Gaston (1847-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 5
Mrs. Charlotte Gaston (1848-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 5

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SOMERSETSHIRE 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Somersetshire.htm
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance