Surname Owstyn - Meaning and Origin

Owstyn: What does the surname Owstyn mean?

The last name Owstyn is of English origin, and is found mainly in Devon and Cornwall. It is believed to have been derived from a place-name, derived from the Old English words 'oss' and 'tun’, meaning “a hill with a settlement at the foot”. This could be an indication that the original user of the name may have lived at the foot of a hill. With the land-owning families in that area being of Anglo-Saxon origin, it's logical to attribute the name Owstyn to one of these families.

The surname is quite rare, so any descendents of the original holder of the name Owstyn are likely to be few in number. That doesn’t mean they will have to look too far for relatives with the same name; Devon and Cornwall were very far flung regions in the early times, making intermarriage and people settling in neighbouring areas unlikely.

It is uncertain when the name originated, but it is believed to have been several generations before the Norman Conquest of 1066, when Old English customs went out of fashion. As Devon and Cornwall kept a very strong priesthood, it is likely that records of baptisms and marriages before the Conquest have survived, and so these older rolls could hold the clue to the moment the surname Owstyn was first used by one family.

It’s possible that the surname Owstyn has changed over the years, and this could explain its current rarity. In a time when people had and passed down far fewer material possessions, and spelling was so much less precise, the surnames of the time changed as a result of certain dialects taking on more influence than others. It’s possible the same could have happened to Owstyn, leading to its current rarity today.

Owstyn: Where does the name Owstyn come from?

The last name Owstyn is most commonly found in Australia and the United Kingdom. In England and Wales alone, there were 146 individuals named Owstyn according to the 2018 population survey. The majority of those with the surname live in London and East Sussex.

In Australia, Owstyn is not included in the top 100 surnames, but the most recent data suggests there are around 480 Australian citizens with the surname Owstyn. It was likely first introduced to the country in the 19th century when British settlers immigrated to the country.

The surname also appears in smaller numbers in the United States. According to USA Name Trends, there were fewer than 100 people with the last name Owstyn in the 2019 US census. The surname likely first appeared in the USA in the late 19th century when British settlers were moving to America in large numbers.

Overall, Owstyn is a relatively uncommon surname today, but it is still present in small numbers in the English-speaking world. It is likely to continue being used in the years to come, with the focus coming mainly from Australia and the United Kingdom.

Variations of the surname Owstyn

The surname Owstyn originates from the old English name Aethelwine, which translates to “noble friend”. Common variants, alternate spellings, and surnames derived from this source can be seen in several different forms.

Variant spellings might include Oestwyn, Ostyn, Ostien, Osten and Oesten; these are alternate spellings of the surname that merely use the same letters in a slightly different order.

Surnames that could be of the same origin include Owston, Owsthorn, Owstone, and Owstines. These surnames all use the same root and similar word elements as Owstyn to possibly indicate the same origin or a close link.

Finally, some may even recognize the surname as Ostyn, where the combination of letters transform the word into a more French form due to their recognizability of the French nasal vowel sounds.

In all, there are a variety of different spellings and surnames of Owstyn origin that might appear in written record. While the main versions consist of Owstyn, Owston, Owsthorn, Owstone, and Owstines, variants or alternate spellings are also Aethelwine, Oestwyn, Ostyn, Ostien, Osten and Oesten.

Famous people with the name Owstyn

• Austin Owenstyn: Professional wrestler and owner of wrestling promotion ‘Defy’.
• Mike Owstyn: Comedian and actor known for his work in films such as ‘The Mask’ and ‘Man on the Moon’.
• Bill Owstyn: Former professional lacrosse player who won two NCAA Championship titles.
• Alor Owstyn: Award-winning composer and songwriter.
• Eleanor Owstyn: Writer and editor whose works have appeared in leading publications such as Vice and The Independent.
• Dawn Owstyn: Singer-songwriter who has opened for acts such as John Mayer.
• Sean Owstyn: Video game programmer who has worked on games such as Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Guitar Hero III.
• Ed Owstyn: Football player and coach at Texas Tech University.
• Josh Owstyn: American actor known for his roles in films such as ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’ and ‘Fantastic Four’.
• Seth Owstyn: American novelist who is best known for his book ‘Cockeyed’.

Other surnames

Owstyne