Alston is an

English language English is a West Germanic language that developed in early medieval England and has since become a English as a lingua franca, global lingua franca. The namesake of the language is the Angles (tribe), Angles, one of the Germanic peoples th ...

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

with several derivations, and a male given name.

Origins

The name may have evolved from the

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman Conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English pe ...

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

"Alstan", the prefix, ''Al-'' itself derived from different

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

words ("noble", "elf", "old", "shrine", "temple"), and the suffix ''-stan'' ("stone") derived from pre 7th century Old English. The oldest public record of this derivation is found in 1279 in

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfor ...

. One branch of this name may have been taken from the manor of a Saxon Lord called Alstanus, who had his manor in Stambourne, North East Essex. It is known that he was still in possession of the manor after the Norman conquest, although as a tenant rather than owner, he held the land annexed against the King. There are a high density of families with the surname Alston and Alliston from around the Sudbury area, not far from Stambourne. In the 1224 feet of fines it is recorded that John son of Adam de Alliston sold land at Stanfeld (Stansfield) Suffolk. Stansfield is a few miles North of Stambourne. Both Stambourne and Stansfield may have taken their name from

Æthelstan Half-King Æthelstan Half-King (fl. 932 – 956) was an Ealdorman of East Anglia who served five kings of England, including Edgar, King of England, Edgar, who was brought up by Æthelstan's wife Ælfwynn, wife of Æthelstan Half-King, Ælfwynn, following ...

, Earl of East Anglia in the 930s. Alston also evolved as a

locational surname A toponymic surname or habitational surname or byname is a surname or byname derived from a place name,

from villages named Alston (or Alstone) in

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

shire,

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

, and

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

. The oldest public records of the locational surname in these villages are from the period of 1221–1246. An alternate meaning is "from the old manor". The nearest locational name to Stambourne was Alston village in Suffolk near Trimley St Martin, recorded in the Domesday Book as ''Alteinestuna''. The original meaning may have been Stone of Fire Farm (''tuna''). ''Alteines'' is a Gallic word meaning "stone of fire" and is associated with sorcery. The church was consolidated to Trimley St Martin in 1362. The coat of arms containing the stars may have been taken as a variant of the coat of arms of the De Veres (

Earls of Oxford Earl of Oxford is a dormant title in the Peerage of England, first created for Aubrey de Vere by the Empress Matilda in 1141. His family was to hold the title for more than five and a half centuries, until the death of the 20th Earl in 1703. ...

) who were one of the most powerful post Norman East Anglian families and associated with early East Anglian Alstons. Notable people with the name include:

Surname

Adrian Alston Adrian Alston (born 6 February 1949) is a former professional soccer player. Born in England, he began his career as a youth player with Preston North End and briefly at non-league Fleetwood before moving to Australia. In Australia, he played f ...

(born 1949), Australian soccer player *

Arthur Alston Arthur Fawssett Alston (30 December 187220 February 1954) was an Anglican bishop, the third Bishop of Middleton (a suffragan bishop in the Church of England Diocese of Manchester) from 1938 until 1943. Born at Sandgate, Kent, the third son of ...

(1872–1954), British Anglican priest, Bishop of Middleton *

Arthur Hugh Garfit Alston Arthur Hugh Garfit Alston (born in West Ashby on 4 September 1902; died in Barcelona on 17 March 1958) was an English botanist. Education and career His father was a vicar and amateur naturalist who first got him interested in the field. A.H ...

(1902–1958), English botanist *

Ashanti Alston Ashanti Omowali Alston (born 1954) is an anarchist activist, speaker, and writer, and former member of the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army. From 1974 to 1985 he spent time in prison for bank robbery, which caused him to become furt ...

(born 1954), American anarchist activist, speaker, and writer *Sir Beilby Alston (1868–1929), British diplomat * Bill Alston (1884–1971), Scottish professional football player * Blair Alston (born 1992), Scottish professional football player * C. Donald Alston, United States Air Force general *

Charles Alston (botanist) Charles Alston (168322 November 1760) was a Scottish botanist. Career Alston was born in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, and was apparently raised by the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton. In 1715 he went to Leyden to study under the Dutch physician Herma ...

(1683–1760), Scottish botanist *

Charles Alston Charles Henry "Spinky" Alston (November 28, 1907 – April 27, 1977) was an American painter, sculptor, illustrator, muralist and teacher who lived and worked in the New York City neighborhood of Harlem. Alston was active in the Harlem Renaissa ...

(1907–1977), African-American painter, sculptor, illustrator, muralist, and teacher * Dave Alston (1846–1893), American baseball umpire *

Dean Alston Dean John Douglas Alston (born 1950) is an Australian cartoonist who became the editorial cartoonist of ''The West Australian'' newspaper in 1986. Biography Dean Alston was born in South Perth, Western Australia. He grew up in Mount Pleasant, W ...

(born 1950), Australian cartoonist * Dell Alston (born 1952), American former baseball player * Derrick Alston (born 1972), American basketball player *Sir Edward Alston (1595–1669), president of the British College of Physicians *

Edward Richard Alston Edward Richard Alston (1 December 1845 – 7 March 1881) was a Scottish zoologist. Alston was born at Stockbriggs, near Lesmahagow, on 1 December 1845. He was delicate in youth, so chiefly self-educated at home. He very early contributed to ''Th ...

(1845–1881), Scottish zoologist *

Garvin Alston Garvin James Alston Sr. (born December 8, 1971) is an American former professional baseball right-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies in 1996. After retiring from playing, he entered coaching and pre ...

(born 1971), American baseball player *

Gerald Alston Gerald Alston (born November 8, 1951) is an American soul/R&B singer, and the lead singer of the Manhattans. Between late 1970 and 1988, the group had 25 top 40 R&B and 12 Hot 100 hit singles. Alston was lead singer on their most successful 1976 ...

(born 1951), American R&B singer * "Granny" Alston (1908–1985), English cricketer *

Jan Alston Jan Alston (born April 14, 1969) is a Canadian-Swiss ice hockey executive, coach and former professional ice hockey centre. He was granted Swiss citizenship in 2002. He became sport director at Swiss side Lausanne HC in 2011. Playing career ...

(born 1969), Canadian ice hockey player * John Alston, 19th-century explorer of Australia * Jon Alston (born 1983), American football player * Joseph Alston (disambiguation) * Julian Alston, Australian-American economist * Kevin Alston (born 1988), American soccer player * Kwaku Alston, American photographer * Lee J. Alston (born 1951), American professor of economics * Lemuel J. Alston (1760–1836), United States Congressman *

Lettie Alston Lettie Beckon Alston (born 1953) is an American composer known for her piano work and a longstanding series of concerts, "Lettie Alston and Friends." Biography Alston was born in 1953 in Detroit. Alston attended Wayne State University for her ...

(born 1953), African-American composer *

Louise Alston Louise Alston is an Australian film director and producer best known for the movies ''All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane'' and ''Jucy (film), Jucy''. Biography Alston was born in Wagga Wagga, and studied at the Australian Film, Television and ...

, Australian director and producer * Lyneal Alston (born 1964), American football player * Mack Alston (1947–2014), American football player * Margaret Alston-Garnjost (1929–2019), British physicist * Michael Alston, Australian disabled fencer * Mike Alston (born 1985), American football player * Nick Alston, British civil servant, later a Police and Crime Commissioner and health service manager * O'Brien Alston (born 1965), American football player *

Ovie Alston Overton "Ovie" Alston (December 14, 1905 – 1989) was an American jazz trumpeter, vocalist, and bandleader. Alston played with Bill Brown and His Brownies in New York in 1928, recording with them for Brunswick Records. He was hired by Claude ...

(1905–1989), American jazz trumpeter, vocalist, and bandleader *

Peter Alston Peter Alston (after 1765 – February 8, 1804) was an American counterfeiter, horse thief, highwayman, and river pirate of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He is believed to have been an associate of serial killer Little Harpe, and a me ...

(c. 1765–1804), American counterfeiter and river pirate *

Philip Alston (counterfeiter) Philip Alston (Feb. 18, 1740 or 1741 – after 1799) was an 18th-century Spanish-American counterfeiter, both before and after the American Revolution. He operated in Virginia and the Carolinas before the war, and in Kentucky and Illinois afte ...

, 18th-century American counterfeiter, frontier military leader *

Philip Alston Philip Geoffrey Alston is an Australian international law scholar and human rights practitioner. He is John Norton Pomeroy Professor of Law at New York University School of Law, and co-chair of the law school's Center for Human Rights and Globa ...

, American law scholar and human rights practitioner *

Rafer Alston Rafer Jamel Alston (born July 24, 1976), nicknamed "Skip 2 My Lou" after the American folk song and partner-stealing dance with the same name, is an American retired professional basketball player. Alston first gained basketball fame as a street ...

(born 1976), American basketball player * Rex Alston (1901–1994), British radio sports commentator * Richard Alston (disambiguation) * Robert W. Alston (18th–19th centuries), American planter, grandfather of Robert Augustus Alston *

Robert Alston Robert John Alston, (born 10 February 1938) is a retired British diplomat. Alston was educated at Ardingly College and New College, Oxford. He is Chairman of Governors at Ardingly College. He served as British Ambassador to Oman between (1986� ...

(born 1938), British diplomat * Robin Carfrae Alston, British bibliographer * Royal Alston (c. 1888–unknown), American college football coach *

Theodosia Burr Alston Theodosia Burr Alston (June 21, 1783 – January 2 or 3, 1813) was an American socialite and the daughter of the third U.S. Vice President, Aaron Burr, and Theodosia Bartow Prevost. She became First Lady of South Carolina after her husband, ...

(1783–1813), daughter of U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr, disappeared at sea * Thomas Alston (disambiguation) * Tiffany Alston (born 1977), American politician *

Walter Alston Walter Emmons Alston (December 1, 1911 – October 1, 1984), nicknamed "Smokey", was an American baseball manager in Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally ...

(1911–1984), American baseball player and manager * Wanda Alston (1959–2005), United States feminist activist and government official * William Alston (disambiguation) * Willis Alston (1769–1837), U.S. Congressman from North Carolina

Given name

Alston Bobb Alston Brenton Winston Bobb (born 17 January 1984) is a Vincentian cricketer who has played for the Windward Islands in West Indian domestic cricket. He is a slow left-arm orthodox bowler. Bobb made his List A debut in August 2002, when he playe ...

(born 1984), West Indian cricketer * Alston G. Dayton (1857–1920), American politician *

Alston Scott Householder Alston Scott Householder (5 May 1904 – 4 July 1993) was an American mathematician who specialized in mathematical biology and numerical analysis. He is the inventor of the Householder transformation and of Householder's method. Career Hous ...

(1904–1993), American mathematician *

Alston Koch Alston Koch is a Sri Lanka born Australian - Sri Lankan singer-songwriter, film producer, record producer and actor. After gaining international success in the late 1970s, he was often described in the Australian and Asian media as "Asia's Ki ...

(born 1951), Sri Lankan singer-songwriter and record producer *

Alston May Alston James Weller May was an Anglican bishop in the first half of the 20th century. He was born in 1869 and educated at Leeds Grammar School and Oriel College, Oxford . After a period of study at Ripon College Cuddesdon he was ordained in ...

(1869–1940), British Anglican priest, Bishop of Northern Rhodesia * Alston Purvis (born 1943), American graphic designer, artist, professor and author *

Alston Wise Joseph Alston "Stoney" Wise (October 29, 1904 – September 23, 1984)"Joseph Alston Wise", Winnipeg Free Press, September 27, 1984 was a Canadian ice hockey player who competed in the 1932 Winter Olympics. In 1932 Wise was a member of the Wi ...

(1904–1984), Canadian ice hockey player

References

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