Show ContentsOisteeen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Oisteeen

What does the name Oisteeen mean?

The Oisteeen family name is derived from the given name Austin, which was the vernacular form of the Latin name "Augustus", meaning "majestic." As a personal name, Augustine was popular due to St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) who had a great influence on early Christianity, as well as St Augustine of Canterbury, first Archbishop of Canterbury, who founded the oldest see in England, in 597.

Early Origins of the Oisteeen family

The surname Oisteeen was first found in Bedfordshire (Old English: Bedanfordscir), located in Southeast-central England, formerly part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia where they held a family seat from ancient times.

"A whole column of Austin appears in the London Directory. The name was made common by the Austin Friars, or Black Canons, as they were often styled from their black cloaks, who were established early in the 12th century in England, and possessed of about 170 houses." 1

"It is confined for the most part to the central and eastern counties of the south of England; and does not extend in any frequency north of Derbyshire or west of Dorset. The counties of Kent and Oxford contain the greatest numbers of Austins. In the thirteenth century it was a common name in Cambridgeshire." 2

Early History of the Oisteeen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oisteeen research. Another 156 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1379, 1538, 1580, 1613, 1629, 1641, 1642, 1643, 1645, 1650, 1660, 1661, 1664, 1666, 1667, 1669, 1676, 1679, 1681, 1683, 1696, 1697, 1699, 1701, 1706, 1728, 1734, 1743 and 1750 are included under the topic Early Oisteeen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oisteeen Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Oisteeen has been recorded under many different variations, including Austin, Austins, Austen, Austeane, Ostian, Ousteane, Owstyne, Ostiane and many more.

Early Notables of the Oisteeen family

Distinguished members of the family include John Austin or Austen (1613-1669), an English lawyer and controversial writer from Walpole, Suffolk; Katherine Austen (1629-ca.1683), English diarist and poet best known for Book M; Ralph Austen (died 1676), an English writer on gardening; Sir Robert Austen, 1st Baronet (c. 1580-1666) of Hall Place, Bexley, Kent, High Sheriff...
Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Oisteeen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Oisteeen family to Ireland

Some of the Oisteeen family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Oisteeen family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Oisteeen or a variant listed above: David Austin, an early saddle-bag preacher who was ordained in the Presbytery of New York in 1788; David arrived in New York by way of Antrim; John Austin, the great grandfather of Rutherford Hayes, known as the ".



  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.


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