Show ContentsGuest History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Guest family

The surname Guest was first found in Savoy (French: Savoie) in the Rhône-Alpes region of the French Alps, where this eminent family held a family seat since ancient times.

Early History of the Guest family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Guest research. Another 196 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1281, 1298, 1401, 1542, 1776 and 1895 are included under the topic Early Guest History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Guest Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Guay, Guait, Guai, Guet, Gay, Guaye, de Guay, de Gay, de Guaye, Castonguay and many more.

Early Notables of the Guest family

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

Guest Ranking

In the United States, the name Guest is the 3,312nd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Guest is ranked the 598th most popular surname with an estimated 10,962 people with that name. 2


United States Guest migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Guest Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Elizabeth Guest, who arrived in Maryland in 1637 3
  • Walter Guest, who arrived in Maryland in 1640 3
  • Geo Guest, who arrived in Virginia in 1647 3
  • George Guest, who purchased landed in Virginia in 1647
  • Anthony Guest made the voyage to Virgnia in 1663
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Guest Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas R Guest, aged 21, who landed in New York in 1812 3
  • John Guest, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1840 3
  • Joseph Guest, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1874 3

Australia Guest migration to Australia +

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

Guest Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Edward Guest, British convict who was convicted in Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Calcutta" in February 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
  • Mr. Samuel Guest, English convict who was convicted in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 13th March 1828, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
  • Joseph Guest, English convict from Gloucester, who was transported aboard the "America" on April 4, 1829, settling in New South Wales, Australia 6
  • Mr. William Guest, English convict who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for life, transported aboard the "Camden" on 21st September 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
  • Mr. William Henry Guest, English coachman who was convicted in Surrey, England for 15 years for house breaking, transported aboard the "Emerald Isle" on 25th June 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Guest 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:

Guest Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Miss Lucy Guest, (b. 1830), aged 28, British domestic servant travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 9
  • Miss Guest, American settler travelling from Honolulu aboard the ship "Nevada" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 30th June 1871 9
  • John Guest, aged 25, a shoemaker, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ocean Mail" in 1875
  • Emma Guest, aged 22, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ocean Mail" in 1875
  • William Guest, aged 42, a gas stoker, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ionic" in 1884
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Guest (post 1700) +

  • Ann Hutchinson Guest MBE (1918-2022), American world authority on dance notation and movement analysis, awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for Dance Studies in 1998
  • William Franklin Guest (1941-2015), American R&B/soul singer, best known for his work with Gladys Knight & the Pips; he was Gladys Knight's cousin
  • Edgar Albert Guest (1881-1959), American (English born) prolific poet
  • Judith Guest (b. 1936), American author, best known for her book, "Ordinary People"
  • Jim Guest (b. 1940), American aerospace engineer and politician; state representative
  • Barbara Guest (1920-2006), American poet and critic
  • James A. Guest, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Senator from Vermont, 1982 10
  • George Guest (b. 1866), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1904, 1912 (alternate) 10
  • Elizabeth Polk Guest (1910-1990), American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Virginia, 1944, 1948 10
  • Cassie L. Guest, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Wayne County 4th District, 1950, 1952 10
  • ... (Another 19 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Halsted
  • Mr. Peter Edward Guest (b. 1926), British Royal Navy ordinary seaman from Essex, England was stationed aboard the "HMS Halsted" when it was struck by torpedo by Jaguar and Mowe of the Cherbourg coast on 11th June 1944, he did not survive
HMS Hood
  • Mr. Alan Guest (b. 1923), English Band Boy serving for the Royal Marine from Bilston, Staffordshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 11
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Robert Guest (d. 1912), aged 32, English Third Class passenger from London who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 12


Suggested Readings for the name Guest +

  • Guest-Guess, History and Lineage in America by Alta Louise Biggs Martin.
  • Our Guest Is Your Guess: With Related Families of Biss, Jones, Gimbel, and Gist: Including Over One Thousand Surnames by Patricia Ann Guest.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  3. 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)
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/calcutta
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
  6. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 26) America voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1829 with 176 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/america/1829
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/camden
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emily
  9. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  10. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  11. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  12. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook