Oyster Surname, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The name Oyster is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in the area of the town or village that was in the east. The surname originated in the southern counties of Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Essex.

Oyster Early Origins

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The surname Oyster was first found in Essex where they held a family seat from very early times in the town of Colchester.

Oyster Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Oyster are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Oyster include: East, Easte, Est, Eyst, Eyste and others.

Oyster Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oyster research. Another 383 words (27 lines of text) covering the years 1196, 1297, 1200, 1300, 1675, 1776, 1540, 1608, 1602 and 1696 are included under the topic Early Oyster History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oyster Early Notables (pre 1700)

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir William East; Thomas East (also spelt Est, Este, and Easte) (1540?-1608?), an English printer specializing in music printing...

Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Oyster Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Oyster or a variant listed above:

Oyster Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Michal Oyster, who landed in North Carolina in 1748 ^[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)
Peter Oyster, who arrived in North Carolina in 1748 ^[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
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)

Contemporary Notables of the name Oyster (post 1700)

David Oyster, American documentary writer, known for his Flight of the Whooping Crane (1984)
Gretchen Oyster, American director, known for Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) and Lonely Hearts (2006)
David Fairfax Oyster Jr. (b. 1945), American producer and director

Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: J'avance
Motto Translation: I advance.

Oyster Family Crest Products

Citations

^ 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)

Other References

Shirley, Evelyn Philip. Noble and Gentle Men of England Or Notes Touching The Arms and Descendants of the Ancient Knightley and Gentle Houses of England Arranged in their Respective Counties 3rd Edition. Westminster: John Bowyer Nichols and Sons, 1866. Print.
Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8).
Robb H. Amanda and Andrew Chesler. Encyclopedia of American Family Names. New York: Haper Collins, 1995. Print. (ISBN 0-06-270075-8).
Ingram, Rev. James. Translator Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 1823. Print.
Colletta, John P. They Came In Ships. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1993. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin . Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8).
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).
Browning, Charles H. Americans of Royal Descent. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing. Print.
Bardsley, C.W. A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6).
Humble, Richard. The Fall of Saxon England. New York: Barnes and Noble, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-88029-987-8).
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The Oyster Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Oyster Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.

This page was last modified on 20 August 2014 at 16:18.