COSTER
Coster is a surname of predominantly Dutch origin that has also been traced to Anglo-Norman French and Germanic roots. Its earliest documented use dates from the late 13th century, when it appears in the Hundred Rolls of English counties.
The Dutch derivation is derived from the occupational term koster, itself stemming from the Late Latin custor meaning guard. In the Netherlands the name came to signify the person who served as a sexton or churchwarden – an individual charged with the maintenance and protection of a church and its premises.
In an alternate explanation, the surname may have arisen from the Anglo‑Norman word coster, a metonymic name for a grower or seller of costards, large varieties of apple noted for their ribbed skin. The term costard was also used as a nickname for a round‑haired or round‑headed person, deriving from the Old French coste, rib or flank.
First evidence of the surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where individuals such as Emma Costard in Oxfordshire and Richard Costard in Cambridgeshire are recorded. A later example is Reginald Costard of Gloucestershire, whose name is listed in the same rolls during the reign of Edward I. These early instances reveal a spread of the name across several English counties.
Various orthographic variants have emerged over time, reflecting regional pronunciations and linguistic influences. Common forms include Koester, Coester, Koster, Koestner, Kuster, Custer, as well as the Germanic Köster, Küster. In Scotland a related surname, Costerman, has also been documented.
Today the surname remains relatively uncommon outside the Netherlands, where it is still concentrated, but it can also be found in English‑speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia. Its presence in these regions is largely the result of historical emigration and migration patterns, rather than recent immigration.
Occupational surnames such as Coster developed during the Middle Ages as a practical means of identifying individuals within growing populations. By attaching a descriptive term to a personal name, communities could distinguish between people who shared the same first name. The continued use of such surnames offers a window into the social and economic roles that shaped early English and Dutch societies.
Typical given names associated with the Coster surname
Male
- Alan
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Angela
- Chloe
- Deborah
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jane
- Joanne
- Karen
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Rebecca
- Samantha
Similar and related surnames
- Coaster
- Caster
- Coester
- Castor
- Castier
- Caister
- Coste
- Costea
- Caistor
- Cassettare
- Cassettari
- Cassuter
- Castoro
- Castre
- Castree
- Castrie
- Castro
- Coser
- Cosler
- Cossidiere
- Cost
- Costa
- Costar
- Costara
- Costaras
- Costard
- Costeira
- Costel
- Costerd
- Costerlow
- Costerphine
- Costerton
- Costes
- Costeur
- Costner
- Costor
- Coustere
- Coxter
- Csatari
- Cusator
- Cusiter
- Custar
- Custer
- Gaastra
- Gaster
- Gauster
- Gazdar
- Goosetree
- Gooster
- Goostree
- Gosstree
- Goster
- Gozdur
- Gustar
- Guster
- Guzdar
- Kaster
- Kastor
- Kastro
- Kasture
- Kasturi
- Keister
- Kesster
- Kester
- Kister
- Koester
- Kooistra
- Koster
- Kosteris
- Kosters
- Kostorz
- Kostro
- Kostur
- Kostyra
- Kuester
- Kusitor
- Kusotera
- Kuster
- Kustra
- Quester
- Questier
- Wykstra
- Kosterno
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Coster in...
Braille
⠉⠕⠎⠞⠑⠗
Morse
-.-.---...-..-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 1,555 people named Coster in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,205th most common surname in Britain. Around 24 in a million people in Britain are named Coster.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Coster
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau - Danish actor and screenwriter
- Ritchie Coster - Actor
- Nicolas Coster - Actor
- Howard Coster - Photographer (1885 to 1959)
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.