Foster Name Meaning: Nickname-either for a foster parent or child. May have also derived from a frankish saint(Vedast)also known as foster.
The old English meaning is'Cild-Fostre'. The Anglo-French word is 'Forest' or the old french 'Forceter' meaning maker of shears.
Discover how your Foster ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.| Bedfordshire | 0 |
| Buckinghamshire | 185 |
| Berkshire | 0 |
| Cambridgeshire | 212 |
| Channel Islands | 44 |
| Cheshire | 397 |
| Cornwall | 64 |
| Cumberland | 540 |
| Derbyshire | 346 |
| Devon | 423 |
| Dorset | 210 |
| Durham | 1,150 |
| Essex | 406 |
| Gloucestershire | 96 |
| Hampshire | 502 |
| Herefordshire | 60 |
| Hertfordshire | 385 |
| Huntingdonshire (and Rutland) | 128 |
| Isle of Man | 8 |
| Kent | 781 |
| Lancashire | 3,255 |
| Leicestershire | 363 |
| Lincolnshire | 1,165 |
| London | 2,190 |
| Middlesex | 143 |
| Northumberland | 591 |
| Norfolk | 227 |
| Northamptonshire | 401 |
| Nottinghamshire | 1,077 |
| Oxfordshire | 154 |
| Rutland (and Huntingdonshire) | 128 |
| Shropshire | 98 |
| Suffolk | 238 |
| Somerset | 340 |
| Surrey | 353 |
| Sussex | 739 |
| Staffordshire | 1,447 |
| Warwickshire | 674 |
| Westmorland | 75 |
| Wiltshire | 59 |
| Worcestershire | 269 |
| Yorkshire | 5,741 |
| Anglesey | 0 |
| Brecknockshire | 8 |
| Cardiganshire | 0 |
| Carnarvonshire | 6 |
| Carmarthenshire | 6 |
| Denbighshire | 31 |
| Flintshire | 0 |
| Glamorgan | 77 |
| Merionethshire | 10 |
| Montgomeryshire | 0 |
| Monmouthshire | 35 |
| Pembrokeshire | 3 |
| Radnorshire | 0 |
| Profession | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 4,204 |
| Agricultural Labourer | 965 |
| House Servant | 336 |
| Labourer | 316 |
| Dress Maker | 288 |
| Coal Miner | 258 |
| Servant | 183 |
| House Keeper | 179 |
| Cotton Weaver | 174 |
| Carter | 150 |
| General Servant | 133 |
| Laundress | 127 |
| Shoe Maker | 118 |
| House Maid | 98 |
| Tailor | 91 |
| Blacksmith | 78 |
| Carpenter | 77 |
| Domestic Servant | 73 |
| Gardener | 73 |
| Butcher | 70 |
| Joiner | 69 |
| Farmer | 68 |
| Grocer | 66 |
| Wife Of Above | 66 |
| Farm Servant | 61 |
| Name | Census Frequency |
|---|---|
| William Foster | 18,362 |
| Mary Foster | 18,342 |
| John Foster | 16,948 |
| Elizabeth Foster | 11,624 |
| Thomas Foster | 10,852 |
| George Foster | 9,558 |
| Sarah Foster | 9,344 |
| James Foster | 8,258 |
| Ann Foster | 6,553 |
| Jane Foster | 5,902 |
| Joseph Foster | 5,633 |
| Charles Foster | 5,372 |
| Henry Foster | 4,831 |
| Robert Foster | 4,178 |
| Annie Foster | 3,913 |
| Alice Foster | 3,853 |
| Margaret Foster | 3,680 |
| Ellen Foster | 3,553 |
| Hannah Foster | 3,463 |
| Emma Foster | 3,362 |
| Eliza Foster | 3,302 |
| Edward Foster | 3,026 |
| Frederick Foster | 2,802 |
| Emily Foster | 2,624 |
| Richard Foster | 2,568 |
| Rank | Surname | Match | Census Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foster | 100% | 275,967 |
| 2 | Faster | 83% | 3,806 |
| 3 | Foister | 86% | 1,298 |
| 4 | Fister | 83% | 803 |
| 5 | Feaster | 71% | 650 |
| 6 | Fester | 83% | 560 |
| 7 | Fostor | 83% | 219 |
| 8 | Fuster | 83% | 121 |
| 9 | Fooster | 86% | 116 |
The surname Foster is the most popular version of all its varients