This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Whiston,' parishes, hamlets, &c, in Lancashire, Staffordshire, Yorkshire, Worcestershire, and Northampton.

Amald de Wiston, Nottinghamshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

William de Whiston, Northamptonshire, 20 Edward I: Placita de Quo Warranto, temp. Edward I-III.

(2) Bapt. 'the son of Wistan,' an early form of Wulstan.

William Wlefstan, Norfolk, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Wystan, or Wolstan de Paston, Norfolk, temp. Richard I: History of Norfolk.

1742. Buried — Elizabeth Whiston: St. Mary Aldermary.

Of territorial origin from the old barony of the name in Lanarkshire. In the reign of Malcolm IV (1153-65) Wice of Wiceston gave to the monks of Kelso "the church of his village of Wicestun, with its two chapels, namely, of the vill of Robert the brother of Lambin, and of the vill of John the stepson of Baldwin." for the weal of his lord the King Malcolm, of William the king's brother, of himself, his wife and heirs, and for the soul's health of his father and mother, and of all his ancestors and successors (Kelso, p. 270). Sir Walter, the son of William "de villa Wice," confirmed this grant of his grandfather (auusmens) about the year 1200, and about 1260 the grant was again confirmed to the Abbey by Sir Henry Lord of Wyscytun (ibid., p. 271,272). In 1263 Sir Henry was found by an inquest to have been a minor when he granted these lands (Bain, I, 2677). In 1292-93 Edward I of England, as overlord of Scotland for the time being, confirmed to Walter Logan the ward of the lands and heirs of Henry of Wyston deceased (Rot. Scot., I, p. 15), and about the year 1300 Henry de Prendergest made suit to Edward I "pur les terres Wauter de Wyston" (Palgrave, Docs. Illus. Hist. Scot., I, p. 310). From this date the lands appear to have passed entirely from the possession of the descendants of Wice the founder of Wiston. Helyn Wystoun in Strafrank had license to marry in 1538 (Rental).

(English) This simple-looking surname lias various origins:—1 belonging to (a) Wiston (Suss.), 13th cent. Wisteneston; (b) Wis- taston (Chesh.), a.d. 1303-4 Wystanston; (c) Wisteston (Here!.), 13th cent. Wis- taneston = WIgstán’s Farm or Estate [see under 6; and + O.E tún] .

2 belonging to Wiseton (Notts), 13th-14th cent. Wiston, Domesday Wisetone = Wísa’s Farm or Estate [the pers. name is from Old English wísa, a leader-Old English wís, wise] 3 belonging to Wiston (Suff.), formerlyWissington, Anglo-Saxon* Wisinga-tún (a Wissingsete occurs in the Charter-Rolls tor Norf. temp. Hen.

III) = the Estate of the Wisa Family [-inga, genit. pl. of the son suff. -ing] 4 belonging to Wiston (Lanark), early-15th cent. Wystan, 12th cent. Wicestun = Wice's Estate (Wice is stated to have been a well-known 12th-cent. knight) [the pers. name is prob. the Anglo-Saxon Wicg, a variant of Wig(a = Warrior] 5 belonging to Wiston (Pemb.), which "takes its name from Castell Gwys, a fortified seat built by Sir P. Gwys, the Norman” (National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland) [Gwys, found to-day in France as Gin's, represents Old Teutonic Wis(o, from wís, wise] 6 for the common Anglo-Saxon pers. name Wigstán = War or Battle Stone [Old English wig, war, battle + stán, a stone: the name prob. primit. denoted a stone weapon] 7 for Whiston, q.v.

Parishes and places in cos. Lancaster, Northampton, Stafford, Yorkshire, and Worcester are so called, and from one or other of them the surname is probably derived, though Mr. Ferguson considers it to be the Anglo-Saxon personal name Wistan.