Host History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The distinguished surname Host is one of the many surnames that first came to England in the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name is derived from the Old French word "oste" or "hoste," meaning "host," and was most likely first borne by an inn-keeper. 1

Early Origins of the Host family

The surname Host was first found in Somerset where the earliest recorded bearer of the name was Elias le Host, who was listed in the 1254 Assize Rolls of Somerset. Later, he was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1279. In Yorkshire, Richard le Ost, Lost was listed in the 13th century. 2

Early History of the Host family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Host research. Another 50 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1254, 1279, 1780 and 1828 are included under the topic Early Host History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Host 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 Host, Hoste, Ost, Hust and others.

Early Notables of the Host family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Sir William Hoste (1780-1828), a prominent English naval commander known as "the hero of Lord Nelson's Navy...

Host Ranking

In the United States, the name Host is the 15,475^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Host 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 Host or a variant listed above:

Host Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Conrad Host, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Host (post 1700) +

Michel Host (1942-2021), French writer

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)