Surname Anstey - Meaning and Origin

Anstey: What does the surname Anstey mean?

The surname Anstey is an English patronymic, derived from Hebrew and Old English and meaning "God's gift." The name is said to have originated with the Anglo-Saxons, although variations are thought to have a Norse Viking origin and can also be found in France.

The Old English name, Anstæi, was derived from the personal name Anno and is found in various forms including Anstee, Ansti, Anstay, Anstey and Anstoy. The origin of the name is unique and thought to be a derivative of Anst, which, when translated, refers to “an estate or farm belonging to some person with the personal name Anno” or “Anno’s people”.

Anst is derived from the God’s Gift, which is thought to have been the highest honor a Viking lord could grant. It is thought that at least some of the families bearing the Anstey surname trace their ancestry to the Anglo-Saxon settlers living in the area of the estate.

The Anstey surname had many variations over the centuries, with some spellings still changing today. The Anstey family still exists in various forms throughout England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, with many bearers of the name now living in America, Canada, Australia, and other parts of the world.

The Anstey surname is very much alive today and carries with it the proud ancestry and traditions of its original Anglo-Saxon and Viking heritage.

Anstey: Where does the name Anstey come from?

The last name Anstey is thought to have originated in England. It is a habitational name, derived from a place name in the English West Midlands.

The surname Anstey is most commonly found in England today, particularly in the South of England in areas such as Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. According to the 2019 estimates from the Office for National Statistics, Anstey is the 39, sorely most common surname in England.

The name Anstey is also very popular in Canada, where it is the 470th most common surname. It is especially popular in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia which, according to the Canadian census in 2006, were home the highest number of Anstey’s.

In the United States, the last name Anstey is much less common than in England and Canada. According to a Owlery data analysis, there are only around 400 people in the country with the Anstey last name. Indiana is the US state with the highest concentration of Anstey’s.

Anstey’s can also be found in other parts of the world including South Africa, Australia, France, the Philippines and Sweden.

Variations of the surname Anstey

Anstey is an English surname with several variants, spellings, and other surnames of the same origin. Variants of the surname include Anstie, Anste, Ansty, Ansley, Ansell, Ansel, Ancely, and Ancelin. Ansty, Ansell, and Ansel are older variants of the Anstey surname, likely derived from a variation of the Anglo-Saxon given name Ansa. Ansley, Ancely, and Ancelin are variants related to the place names where people adopted the surname.

Anstey is also found spelled as Anstice, Anstisse, Anstiss, Anstie, Anesty, Anset, Anste, Anstissers, Anstee, and Ansteeze. These variations may have been due to the initial illiteracy of the people keeping record of the surname, or the existence of regional English dialects and slangs that may have influenced its pronunciation.

In addition, there are several other surnames which have the same origin as Anstey, such as Ancelyn, Anselment, Answell, Anglobal, and Anstes. These surnames can be derived from the place name of Anstey in Leicester, England or other sites in the British Isles.

Overall, Anstey appears in many forms, with variants and other surnames of the same origin. Although the exact origin of the name is unknown, many of the variants may suggest the name has an Old English origin.

Famous people with the name Anstey

• Edward Anstey: English actor, producer, and director
• A. C. Anstey: British author and columnist
• Alan Anstey: English actor and writer
• Edward Anstey: English actor, producer, director, and screenwriter
• Alfred Anstey: English Member of Parliament
• Harriet Anstey: British actress
• Ebenezer Anstey: British naval painter
• F. A. Anstey: English cricketer
• Joseph Anstey: British geologist
• Henry B. Anstey: British army officer
• William Anstey: English politician
• Charles Anstey: British mathematician
• Mark Anstey: British Olympic swimmer
• Robert Anstey: British director, writer, actor, and producer
• Judy Anstey: Australian opera singer and entertainer
• John Anstey: British jewelry designer

Other surnames

AnsteeAnsteegAnsteg