This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Augustine'; Old English Austin. Very popular in the 13th century.

'Til he foundede freres of Austynes ordre.': Piers Plowman, 10193-4.

A whole column of Austin appears in the London Directory. The name was made common by the Austin Friars, or Black Canons, as they were often styled from their black cloaks, who were established early in the 12th century in England, and possessed of about 170 houses.

Astin, confounded often with the local Aston, was an early form.

Astin de Bennington, Lincolnshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Wilekin fil. Austin. C. Austin Trim, Close Rolls , 41 Henry III.

Augustinus Mewhird, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Willelmus Austyn-man, i.e. servant, 1379: ibid.

John Austen, or Austyn, or Augustyne, 1538: Register of the University of Oxford.

1557. Buried — Austin Clark: St. Dionis Backchurch (London).

1570. — Alice, d. of Austyn Pawtner: St. Michael, Cornhill.

1777. Married — George Stanser and Ann Aust: St. George, Hanover Square.

(1) a diminutive of Augustine ('majestic'), the name of the great Father of the Church, Augustinus of Hippo, and of his namesake the first Archbishop of Canterbury. (2) an Englishing of Uisdean (Huisdean) 'one of the many instances in which classical names are utilised to represent Gaelic names of a somewhat similar sound" (HP., I, p. 35n). "The Austins appear first on record as allies and supporters of the Keiths. The name was variously spelt, though in ancient records it was generally begun with Ou or Ow. Of curious interest as showing an early connection between the families is the occurrence in 1587 of the name of Alexander Ousteane, burgess of Edinburgh, as one of the cautioners for George Keith, Earl Marshall, in an action raised against him, by Margaret Erskine, Lady Pitcarie. In the same year Alexander Oisteane, no doubt the same person, was a parliamentary representative of the Burgh of Edinburgh. In 1589 Walter Oustene, a tenant in Lochquhan (a possession of the Keith family), was one of the subscribers to a Bond of Caution imposed on a number of the landed men in the shires of Aberdeen and Kincardine, binding them to keep the peace in the struggles with the Catholic party beaded by Huntly" (D. W. Stewart, Old and rare Scottish tartans). The Austins of the parish of Fettercairn are said to be of English descent and there during the seventeenth century (Cameron, History of Fettercairn, p. 226). John Owstyne was a tenant of earl or Douglas in the barony of Preston, 1376 (RHM., I, p. LXI), Andrew Austyn was prior of Dunfermline, 1448 (RD., p. 309), and in 1503 David Ostien was prebend of Holy Trinity, Edinburgh (Soltre, p. 158). John Owstiane was burgess of Edinburgh, 1566 (RPC., I, p. 447), Alexander Oustiane deacon of the southwest quarter of the burgh in 1574 (MCM., I, p. 107), and Alexander Austene tailor there in 1594 (ER., XXII, p. 582). Mary Austine is recorded at Grangeburn, 1676 (Kirkcudbright), Agnes Owstine in Reidcastle, 1681 (Dumfries), William Oustine of Kirkland, 1699 (Inquls., 8109), and Agnes Austine in Deanstoun, 1755. Austeane 1593, Oistiane 1583, Ostiane 1584, Austein, Ostian, Oustian.

For Austins, q.v.

(Latin.) A contraction of Augustine, from Augustinus, imperial, royal, great, renowned.

Austin,Austen. —An old English and French abbreviation of Augustine. It is confined for the most part to the central and eastern counties of the south of England; and does not extend in any frequency north of Derbyshire or west of Dorset, The counties of Kent and Oxford contain the greatest numbers of Austins. In the thirteenth century it was a common name in Cambridgeshire (Hundred Rolls).