A male name. (French, German Augustin, Italian Agostino, Spanish Agostin) Latin diminutive of augustus ‘venerable, ‘consecrated’. The name was very common in England in the Middle Ages (it is not found before the Conquest) usually in the syncopated form Austin. It was probably the 6th-C St Augustine, Ist Archbishop of Canterbury, as often as the 4th-C Bishop of Hippo, who was the sponsor of the English Austins. Austin has remained in use until the present day, though it lost much of its popularity after the Reformation and is now more familiar from the common surnames Austin, Austen. The full form Augustine has been used with some frequency in the last 100 years; it was one of the names revived by the Tractarians.

Austin, Austinus Curia Regis Rolls 1189-1213, Hundred Rolls 1273. Astin Hundred Rolls 1273. Augustinus Poll Tax of West Riding of Yorkshire 1379 1379. Austyn Poll Tax of West Riding of Yorkshire 1379 1379.