Hister History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient name of Hister finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from a name for a 'Hayrester' or 'Hairster,' as originally 'hayre' was "a garment made of goat's hair. Hayrester, a maker of hayres.' 'Hayresters, workers in horsehair.' " 1

Alternatively, the name could have been for someone who was a "hastiler, one who superintended the roasts," from the Old French word "hasteur" or the Old French word "haste" for a "turnspit" or "spit." 2

Early Origins of the Hister family

The surname Hister was first found in Essex, where John Haster was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1440. Years later, Thomas Haster was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Wiltshire in 1576. 2

Early History of the Hister family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hister research. Another 43 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1579 and 1593 are included under the topic Early Hister History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hister Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Hister family name include Haster, Hasster, Hester and others.

Early Notables of the Hister family

Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hister Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hister family to Ireland

Some of the Hister family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hister migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Hister surname or a spelling variation of the name include :

Hister Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Daniel Hister, who arrived in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania in 1749 3
Joseph Hister, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1758 3

Hister Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Andrew Hister, aged 23, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1802 3

Citations +

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