UK surname
A surname derived from Austro, the Latin word for east or southeastern referring to residence or origin.
In the 1881 census there were 40 people recorded with the Auster surname, ranking it #28,011 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 42, ranked #35,336, down from #28,011 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Kings Norton, Hendon and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Auster is 298 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 5.0%.
1881 census count
40
Ranked #28,011
Modern count
42
2016, ranked #35,336
Peak year
1861
298 bearers
Map years
2
1861 to 1891
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Auster surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Auster surname density by area, 1891 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.
| Year | Period | Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | historical | 39 | #26,319 |
| 1861 | historical | 298 | #8,485 |
| 1881 | historical | 40 | #28,011 |
| 1891 | historical | 288 | #11,450 |
| 1901 | historical | 52 | #28,377 |
| 1911 | historical | 42 | #28,691 |
| 1997 | modern | 40 | #33,666 |
| 1998 | modern | 44 | #33,462 |
| 1999 | modern | 43 | #33,683 |
| 2000 | modern | 46 | #33,458 |
| 2001 | modern | 43 | #33,576 |
| 2002 | modern | 42 | #33,951 |
| 2003 | modern | 37 | #34,432 |
| 2004 | modern | 36 | #34,717 |
| 2005 | modern | 40 | #34,562 |
| 2006 | modern | 45 | #34,491 |
| 2007 | modern | 46 | #34,634 |
| 2008 | modern | 48 | #34,629 |
| 2009 | modern | 50 | #34,663 |
| 2010 | modern | 48 | #34,946 |
| 2011 | modern | 47 | #34,989 |
| 2012 | modern | 44 | #35,164 |
| 2013 | modern | 41 | #35,384 |
| 2014 | modern | 47 | #35,097 |
| 2015 | modern | 44 | #35,212 |
| 2016 | modern | 42 | #35,336 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Kings Norton, Hendon, Lambeth, St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford and Swanbourne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kings Norton | Worcestershire |
| 2 | Hendon | Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts) |
| 3 | Lambeth | London (South Districts) |
| 4 | St Paul Deptford, St Nicholas Deptford | London (South Districts) |
| 5 | Swanbourne | Buckinghamshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Auster surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Auster, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.
These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.
The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.
UK neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Auster surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Auster household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Auster is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Auster is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Auster, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Auster has its origins in Germany and surrounding regions of Central Europe. It is derived from the Old German word 'aust', meaning east or eastern. As such, the name likely referred to someone who lived in the eastern part of a town or village, or who had migrated from the east.
In the early medieval period, the name appeared in various Germanic records and manuscripts with spellings like 'Oster', 'Oester', and 'Auster'. One of the earliest known references is from the Codex Traditionum of the Monastery of Reichenau in the 9th century, where an individual named Austriger is mentioned.
The name also appears in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, compiled by order of William the Conqueror to record landholdings in England. Here, the name is spelled 'Austere' and refers to a landholder in the county of Wiltshire.
Notable historical figures with the surname Auster include Johann Auster (1485-1542), a German theologian and Reformer who was a close associate of Martin Luther. In the 16th century, Hans Auster (1547-1611) was a prominent German composer and organist.
Later, in the 18th century, Johann Christoph Auster (1728-1797) was a respected German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. His contemporary, Johann Samuel Auster (1735-1799), was a German painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
Moving into the 19th century, Carl Auster (1813-1892) was a German-American political activist and journalist who played a key role in the failed German revolutions of 1848-49 before emigrating to the United States.
While these are just a few notable examples, the surname Auster has a long and rich history that can be traced back to its Germanic roots and the medieval period in Central Europe.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Auster surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Worcestershire leads with 12 Austers recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.81x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Worcestershire | 12 | 24.81x |
| Kent | 11 | 8.70x |
| Middlesex | 7 | 1.89x |
| Surrey | 4 | 2.22x |
| Hampshire | 1 | 1.32x |
| Staffordshire | 1 | 0.80x |
| Sussex | 1 | 1.60x |
| Warwickshire | 1 | 1.07x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kings Norton in Worcestershire leads with 11 Austers recorded in 1881 and an index of 253.46x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Kings Norton | 11 | 253.46x |
| Deptford St Paul | 9 | 92.31x |
| Croydon | 4 | 39.92x |
| St Pancras London | 3 | 10.06x |
| Birmingham | 1 | 3.21x |
| Cuckfield | 1 | 158.73x |
| Greenwich | 1 | 16.95x |
| Hackney London | 1 | 4.81x |
| Hendon | 1 | 75.19x |
| Kinver | 1 | 277.78x |
| Shoreditch London | 1 | 6.23x |
| Snodland | 1 | 277.78x |
| Southampton St Mary | 1 | 20.96x |
| St George Hanover Square | 1 | 15.31x |
| Stoke Prior | 1 | 333.33x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Auster surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Auster surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Auster households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 11 |
| Clerk | 2 |
| Bank Clerk | 1 |
| Barman | 1 |
| Book Keeper | 1 |
| Brewer | 1 |
| Errand Boy | 1 |
| General Serv | 1 |
| Genrl Lab | 1 |
| Gun Maker | 1 |
| Income Derived From Land | 1 |
| Manufacturer (40 Men) | 1 |
| Medical Student | 1 |
| Merchant | 1 |
| Retail Jeweller | 1 |
| Retired Grocer | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 40 people were recorded with the Auster surname. That placed it at #28,011 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 42 in 2016. That gives Auster a modern rank of #35,336.
A surname derived from Austro, the Latin word for east or southeastern referring to residence or origin.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Auster bearers relative to the surrounding population.
The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.