Brewster
An occupational surname meaning “brewer,” originally tied to women who made ale.
The #1,830 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 15,781 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Brewster is an occupational surname from Middle English, meaning a woman who brewed ale. It comes from the old English word for “brew” plus the feminine agent ending -ster, which in early usage often marked a female doer of the job. Over time the occupational sense broadened, and the surname came to be used by families regardless of the bearer’s sex.
History
Medieval records show Brewster as an occupational byname, and historical notes specifically connect it with female brewers. As brewing became a more male-dominated trade, the surname survived as a family name rather than a job title. It is well established in Britain and later spread widely in North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The -ster ending in Brewster is the same old feminine suffix seen in historical words like spinster.
From the historical record
“BREWIN. See Bruin. BREWSTER. A brewer. See termina- tion STEK, aiid Eug. Surn. in voc. BRIAR. See Bryer. BRICE. A personal name. The feast of St. Brice, bishop and confessor, is on the ] iJth of Novemlier. There are tliree places in Normandy denominated from him. ^^BPiICK. A common .syllaTile in local”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Brewster
- David Brewster (1781–1868)
- Jordana Brewster (b. 1980)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.