Durst
A surname with at least two likely roots: in English records it can relate to “thirst,” while in German it is often connected with a topographic or descriptive source.
The #5,780 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 51,501 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Durst is not tied to one single origin in the historical dictionaries. In English, it is usually treated as a nickname from Middle English durst, meaning “thirst,” or as a related sobriquet for someone associated with thirst or drinking habits. In German, Durst is the common word for “thirst,” so the name may also have arisen as a descriptive nickname there. Because the sources point to more than one explanation, the safest view is that Durst has multiple independent origins.
History
The name appears in English surname collections as a short, sobriquet-style form, and German scholars also discuss it among descriptive nicknames. In modern usage it is found in both English-speaking and German-speaking family lines, which fits the surname’s mixed etymology. The spelling is stable, though variants such as Darst and Durs(t) may appear in records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because both English and German have a word pronounced and spelled very like Durst, the surname can look the same while having different family histories.
From the historical record
“John Chytte, co. Soms., 1 Edw. Ill : Kirby*8 (Durst, p. ao6. Agnes Chittye, temp> Eliz, Z. John Chittie. ibid.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)