Show ContentsTester History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Tester Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Early Origins of the Tester family

The surname Tester was first found in Oxfordshire where the name is more often than not, thought to have been derived from an early French baptismal name Testard which is found in the Pipe Rolls of 1131. 1

Not all of the family emigrated to England as William Testard was listed in Normandy (1180-1195). 2

By the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the name was somewhat scattered: Henry Testard, Huntingdonshire; Robert Testard, Suffolk and Ralph Testard, Yorkshire. 3

Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Willelmus Testard and Johannes Testard.

As if to attest the French influence, one noted author states: "A family of this name in Ballater, Aberdeenshire, are said to be descended from a Frenchman who was 'taster' to Mary, Queen of Scots, whom he accompanied from France. If this is correct the name may be from Ancient French tester, testar, assayer. More likely, however, the name is same as Testard. " 4

Early History of the Tester family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tester research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1135, 1172, 1230, 1273, 1379, 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Tester History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tester Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Testerd, Testart, Testar, Tester, Testard and others.

Early Notables of the Tester family

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

Tester Ranking

the United States, the name Tester is the 10,018th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Tester migration to the United States +



Tester Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Wm. Tester, aged 40, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Westminster" in 1838 6
  • Henry Tester, aged 22, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Hendrick Hudson" in 1842 6
  • Emily Tester, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Hendrick Hudson" in 1842 6
  • William Tester, who arrived in New York in 1842 7
  • Adel Tester, aged 21, French settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Hane" in 1849 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tester migration to Australia +

Tester Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Tester, English convict who was convicted in Sussex, England for life, transported aboard the "Bardaster" on 7th September 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
  • Emily Tester, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Asia" in 1851 9
  • John Tester, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Asia" in 1851 9
  • George Tester, aged 22, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Adelaide" 10
  • Mr. William George Tester, (b. 1831), aged 27, English clerk who was convicted in London, England for 14 years for theft, transported aboard the "Edwin Fox" on 24th August 1858, arriving in Western Australia, Australia
Tester Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century
  • Mr. Edward Tester, German settler who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Gneisenau" in 1908 11
  • Mr. J. Tester, British settler who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Narkunda" in 1923 11
  • Mrs. Tester, British settler who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Narkunda" in 1923 11
  • Mr. F. C. Tester, British settler who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Esperance Bay" in 1926 11
  • Mr. Norman Tester, British settler who arrived in Fremantle, Australia aboard the ship "Osterley" in 1929 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tester 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:

Tester Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Henry Tester, (b. 1834), aged 24, British farm labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Indiana" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 28th November 1858 12
  • Miss Emma A. Tester, (b. 1847), aged 23, British general servant travelling from London aboard the ship 'Merope' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 27th October 1870 12
  • Laurettam Tester, aged 26, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Gainsborough" in 1878 13
  • Lillian Emily Tester, aged 6, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Gainsborough" in 1878 13
  • Edith C. Tester, aged 3, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Gainsborough" in 1878 13

Contemporary Notables of the name Tester (post 1700) +

  • William Tester (b. 1960), American short story writer and novelist
  • Ruth Tester (1903-1993), American singer and dancer in Broadway musicals of the 1920s and 1930s
  • Jon Tester (b. 1956), American junior Senator for Montana
  • Lewis "Scan" Tester (1886-1972), English folk and English country musician
  • Desmond Tester (1919-2002), English and Australian film actor and television actor, host and executive
  • Ralph P. Tester, British administrator at Bletchley Park, the British codebreaking station during World War II
HMS Royal Oak
  • Charles Arnold Tester (1913-1939), British Seaman with the Royal Navy Reserve aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 14
  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. 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)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. Ellis Island Search retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  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)
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bardaster
  9. State Library of South Australia. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) ASIA 1851 from London 12 05 1851 and southampton with Captain Roskell, arrived Port Adelaide on 1-09-1851. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Asia.htm
  10. South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ADELAIDE 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/adelaide1852.shtml
  11. National Record of Australia retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au
  12. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  13. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 3rd November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  14. Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html

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