Austin Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Austin Family History

Austin Family History

The family history of the ancient name Austin was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. Meaning 'son of Augustine', variants of the name Austin include Aust, Austen, Austyn, Austing, Asten, Astin and Astins. The name was borne by Saint Augustine of Hippo, 354-430, whose influence on Christianity is considered only to be second to that of Saint Paul. The popularity of the name was further increased by the fact that it was borne by Saint Augustine of Canterbury in the year 605. He brought Christianity to England in 597. This name is of Anglo-Norman descent spreading to Ireland, Scotland and Wales in early times and is found in many mediaeval manuscripts in the above countries. Examples of such are a Bennington Astin, Lincolnshire, who was recorded in the 'Hundred Rolls', England, in the year 1273 and an Alexander Austene who was a tailor in the Burgh, Scotland, in the year 1594.

In Ireland this name and its variants were introduced into Ulster Province by settlers who arrived from England and Scotland, especially during the seventeenth century. During the 'Plantations of Ireland' in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Ireland was colonized by the English Crown with this period marking the end of Gaelic supremacy in Ireland. This period brought an influx of settlers into the country but, unlike the earlier Anglo-Norman invasion of the twelfth century that resulted in a full integration into Irish society of the new arrivals, the same never occurred with the Ulster Planters who maintained their own distinct identity.

Austin has existed in Ireland since the fourteenth century and has two Gaelic forms, Oistin and MacAibhistin, which is mainly found in Connaught Province. The Austin family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Austin descendants.