Osten History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The surname Osten is of uncertain origin, but there are several possibilities for its source. It may have derived from the Gothic word "ostan" meaning "the direction of the rising sun," and may have been initially born by someone from the east. Alternatively, Osten may have come from the Middle High German word "Oster," meaning "Easter," and the name would have likely belonged to someone born or baptized during the festival of Easter. 1 Oster is an element in many compound names, such as Osterbrock, Osterfeld, and Osterkamp.

Early Origins of the Osten family

The surname Osten was first found in Saxony. The earliest record of this surname dates back to the twelfth century when one Fridericus Osterman was recorded in 1150. In 1159, Gerardus Osterman was a citizen of Cologne. Lippold von der Oesten was recorded in 1254, and Hinricus de Osten appeared in 1302. Radeke Osterlo was listed in 1423, Berchtold Österli in Oberhausen, Wurttemberg in 1485, and Jurgen Ostermann in Goettingen in 1563. Veit Ostermann was a citizen of Passau in 1623 and in 1680, Matthias Ostermann was residing in Erding. Michael Ahasverus Ostermaier served as mayor of the town of Ratzeburg in the seventeenth century, and his son Johann (1678-1733) was a pastor in Crumesse.

Early History of the Osten family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Osten research. Another 140 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1678, 1686, 1711, 1730, 1747, 1808 and 1855 are included under the topic Early Osten History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Osten Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Oster, Ost, Oest, Öst, Osten, Östing, Österle, Österlen, Osterloh, Ostermann, Östermann, Ostermaier, Ostermayer, Ostermeier, Osterer, Osterling, Osterbrock, Osterbrauk, Osterbrink, Osterfeld, Osterhues, Osterkamp, Osterholt, Osterwiesch, Ostersehlte, Osterwind, Osterberg and many more.

Early Notables of the Osten family

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Osten Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Osten migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Osten Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Friedrich Osten, who arrived in Long Island in 1781 2

Osten Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Hendrika Osten, aged 22, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 2
Aleida Berendina Osten, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 2
Willem Osten, aged 22, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 2
Carl Osten, who landed in Ohio in 1862 2
Karl Osten, who arrived in New York, NY in 1862 2

Osten 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:

Osten Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Eduard Osten, (b. 1848), aged 24, Scandinavian labourer travelling from Hamburg aboard the ship "Palmerston" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 12th December 1872 3
Mrs. Emma Osten, (b. 1846), aged 26, Scandinavian settler travelling from Hamburg aboard the ship "Palmerston" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 12th December 1872 3
Mr. Bruno Osten, (b. 1869), aged 3, Scandinavian settler travelling from Hamburg aboard the ship "Palmerston" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 12th December 1872 3
Mr. Richard Osten, (b. 1872), aged 6 months, Scandinavian settler travelling from Hamburg aboard the ship "Palmerston" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 12th December 1872 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Osten (post 1700) +

Catherine A. Osten, American politician, Member of the Connecticut Senate (2013-)
Cornelius Osten (1863-1936), German businessman and botanist
Manfred Osten (b. 1938), German poet and cultural historian
Eva Helga Bertha von der Osten (1881-1936), German soprano
Franz Osten (1876-1956), German filmmaker
Carlota Suzanne Osten (b. 1944), Swedish Guldbagge Award winning film director stage director and screenwriter
Pierre-Jacques Osten, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 4

Citations +

Bahlow, Hans, Dictionary of German Names. translated by Edda Gentry, Wisconsin: The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 2002. Print. (ISBN 0-924119-35-7)
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, June 16) Pierre-Jacques Osten. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html