Austin
A classic English surname from the personal name Austin, originally a shortened form of Augustine.
The #253 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 2,579 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Austin began as a familiar medieval form of the given name Augustine, ultimately from Latin Augustinus, meaning “belonging to Augustus” or “venerable.” In English records it often appears as a surname meaning “son of Austin,” and related spellings such as Astin and Asten were also used. Some early surname forms were later pulled into or confused with place-names like Aston.
History
The surname is especially English in character and was established through the common medieval practice of turning a father's baptismal name into a hereditary family name. Because Austin was a very popular Christian name, the surname spread widely and produced many spelling variants. It also appears in some cases as a shortened or reshaped form in records where spelling was fluid.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The name Austin is also linked to St. Augustine, whose prestige helped keep the underlying baptismal name popular for centuries.
From the historical record
“derived from Roisia de Vere, Countess of Norfolk, by whom a cross was set up, and near which" an Austin priory was founded in Henry H's time . . . which led to the erection of houses ; and the place acquired the appellation of Royse's TiyOm or Royston. —Nat. Gaz. 1868.'”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)Notable people named Austin
- Lloyd Austin (b. 1953)
- Stone Cold Steve Austin (b. 1964)
- Tracy Austin (b. 1962)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.