AUSTEN
Austen is a surname of English origin that incorporates Latin elements in its etymology. It is found throughout the British Isles, particularly in England, and has Christian roots through its derivation from the medieval personal name Augustinus, a Latinised form of the name attributed to the influential theologian Saint Augustine of Hippo.
The medieval personal name Augustinus means “venerable” or “great” and was commonly adopted as a Christian forename in the early Middle Ages. The surname Austen is therefore linked to the Christian hymn and moral teachings associated with Saint Augustine, whose influence was felt particularly from the 4th to the 5th centuries.
In the English record the surname appears for the first time in the 13th century. The earliest documented instance is that of a man named Henry Austin in 1275, as noted in the County Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire during the reign of King Edward I (1272‑1307). Variants including Austin, Austins and Auston are recorded in the same period. The name is thought to have advanced from a habitational association with the properties of “Austin Canons”, a clerical order that settled in England after the 12th‑century Christian revival and crusade movements. The order’s members were celibate, and the surname was adopted by those who worked on the order’s lands.
Heraldic evidence for the surname is attested by a grant of arms to the Austins of Surrey in 1611. The arms were described as silver with three black chevrons, the central chevron being charged with three gold crosses. This grant confirms the existence of a distinct family bearing the name prior to the 17th century.
English emigration brought the surname to the New World in the early 17th century. Edward Austin, aged 26, is recorded as a passenger aboard the Speedwell from London in May 1625, creating the earliest American connection. Not all early emigrants experienced prosperity: a Thomas Austin of Somerset, arrested on 12 October 1685, was condemned by Judge Jeffreys to be transported as a Monmouth rebel to Barbados or another colonial plantation.
Alternative etymological accounts have traced Austen to a Norman origin, citing a family named “Astenum” in Angoumois, France, where the prefix A means “from” and the suffix -stena translates to “stone”. The name is believed to have been brought to England by Normans following the 1066 conquest and subsequently evolved from the Old English place name Æscetun (ash town). The Norman influence is evident in the spelling of contemporary English records, where the form was altered to Austen during the 12th‑century period.
Other linguistic traditions show the surname as a patronymic derivative of the Old English Æðelstan, meaning “noble stone”. This root produced variants such as Eoston, Ouston and Austin in England, while continental European branches yielded forms like Austain, Autain and Austant. These variations arose independently in different regions, all tracing back to the common Latin and Germanic roots.
The surname Austen retains a prominent place in contemporary society. In 2018 it was ranked the 8,444th most common name in England according to the Office for National Statistics. Across the English-speaking world the name is also common in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as in France and other parts of Europe. Most bearers of the surname outside the United Kingdom can trace their ancestry to families that emigrated from England during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Among those who have carried the name, the most celebrated is the novelist Jane Austen, whose writings have made her surname a symbol of literary achievement. Her legacy ensures that the name Austen will remain in the public consciousness for generations to come.
Typical given names associated with the Austen surname
Male
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Alison
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Fiona
- Jane
- Jean
- Jennifer
- Lauren
- Linda
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Austen in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 2,830 people named Austen in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,157th most common surname in Britain. Around 43 in a million people in Britain are named Austen.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Austen
- Jane Austen - Novelist (1775 to 1817)
- Tom Austen - Actor
- Cassandra Austen - Amateur English watercolourist and the elder sister of Jane Austen (1773 to 1845)
- Henry Thomas Austen - Banker (1771 to 1850)
- Francis Austen - Royal Navy officer (1774 to 1865)
- Winifred Austen - Artist and illustrator (1876 to 1964)
- John Austen - Artist and book illustrator (1886 to 1948)
- Eric Austen - Designer and teacher (1922 to 1999)
- Edward Austen - Cleric and cricketer (1820 to 1908)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.