Show ContentsMusto History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Musto

What does the name Musto mean?

Musto is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Musto family lived in Mousquette, Normandy, and ventured to England shortly after the Conquest in 1066. 1

Early Origins of the Musto family

The surname Musto was first found in Cambridgeshire where "William Muschet held of the Bishop of Ely in 1165. Later, he was Sheriff of Cambridgeshire 2 Richard I., as was William 'filius John Muschet' 6,9,11 and 12 Edward III.

Muschetts, a small manor still held under the Bishop of Ely, retains their name. Adam de Muschet, about 1240, held under Robert de Waledom at Great Peatling in Leicestershire. John Musket was Lord of Heccecomb, Somersetshire, in 1316. Robert Muschett of Gloucestershire and Hertfordshire, Ralph Muskett of Hertfordshire only, in the time of Edward I. At the same date 'Dominus William Muschett' was a considerable proprietor in Kent, and held land in Huntingdonshire. Roger Mushett gave some land at Benney to the Preceptory of Temple Rothley. In Dorsetshire, John Muskett held in Winterborne- St. Martin 20 Ed. III." 2

"The name occurs in Scotland from a very early period, but was there used as a familiar form of Montfichet. 'The corruption of names, arising from a tendency to abbreviate, and to adopt leading sounds, is conspicuous in the following instances, some of which occur in the Ragman Roll' " 2

Robert Osketell Muschet was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Suffolk in 1177 and later William Musket was found the Feet of Fines for Norfolk c. 1210. Later again, William Mouchet was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1327. 3

Early History of the Musto family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Musto research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the year 1598 is included under the topic Early Musto History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Musto Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Musket, Muscat, Muscet, Muskett, Muskatt, Muskat, Muskot, Muskott, Mousket, Mouskett, Mouskette, Mousquette, Muskit, Muskitt and many more.

Early Notables of the Musto family

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

Musto Ranking

In the United States, the name Musto is the 14,228th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4


Musto migration to Australia +

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

Musto Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Edward Musto, (b. 1801), aged 30, English ploughman who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 7 years for machine breaking, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 2nd February 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1872 5
  • Mr. Thomas Musto, English convict who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "David Clarke" on 3rd June 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Musto (post 1700) +

  • William Vincent Musto, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1964; Member of New Jersey State Senate 33rd District, 1976 7
  • Ray Musto, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 2000 7
  • Raphael John Musto (b. 1929), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives, 1971-80; U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 11th District, 1980-81; Defeated, 1980 7
  • Anthony J. Musto, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Connecticut State Senate 22nd District; Elected 2008, 2010 7


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 2 of 3
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd June 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/david-clarke
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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