Surname Besting - Meaning and Origin

Besting: What does the surname Besting mean?

The last name Besting is derived from the English word "beastings". Beastings is a Middle English word, which means "the milk given by a cow after calving". This name was used to denote a family who kept cows and thus was probably engaged in dairy farming.

The origins of the Besting surname are traced back to the 12th century when surnames became commonplace. At that time, people needed a way to distinguish themselves and their families from those of other people in their village or region. By adding this middle English word to a name, people would have a way to tell their family apart from others. This name likely became popular due to the fact that cows were a major source of sustenance for many people.

Interestingly enough, the Bestings surname is also found in Virginia, which hints at the family having a strong ties to the United States as well. It is believed that the family originated from England, and then found their way across the Atlantic to the US.

In conclusion, the Besting surname is derived from the Middle English word “beastings”, meaning “the milk given by a cow after calving.” The name likely originated in the 12th century when surnames became commonplace and was a way to identify families and tell them apart from the masses. The surname is found both in England and the United States, hinting at the family having strong ties to both countries.

Besting: Where does the name Besting come from?

The surname Besting appears to be mainly found around western Europe. It was largely found in Belgium, Germany, France and the Netherlands in the 19th century. Today, it is a rare name, but people with this surname still live in these countries as well as in other areas of the world.

The largest concentration of people with the surname Besting appears to be in the Netherlands. In 2012, it ranked 7976th out of 12,000 surnames for that year. In Belgium, the surname ranked 2882nd out of 33,000 in 2006.

Other countries with citizens that possess this surname are the United States, Canada, New Zealand, England, Norway, Sweden, and France. The name is also found in other places, including countries of the former Soviet Union and South America.

It is possible that some individuals with the surname may have emigrated and settled in other areas, which accounts for its current occurrence in other nations.

Overall, the surname Besting appears to be rare, but still found in a few countries in northern and western Europe, as well as some parts of North America, South America, and the Asia Pacific.

Variations of the surname Besting

Besting, Besten, Beston, and Bestun are all different spellings and variants of the same surname. It has Germanic origin, and is derived from the surnames Bessant and Besant, which were derived from the name Bert, which means "bright." The name is believed to have originated from the medieval nickname “Bezzant”, which was given to a person with a cheerful disposition. The surname is also indication of a person of the church.

In England, the Besting surname is found mainly in Cheshire, where the name was granted to a family who lived near a hill named “Bertin”. The family was believed to have lived in this area since the late 12th century. In Scotland, the Besting surname is found mainly in Dumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. In France, the Besting name is found in Normandy, where the name was likely adopted after the Norman conquest of 1066.

The variant spellings of the surname Besting include Beston, Beseton, Bestun, Besten, Besseten, Bestingh, Bezand, Bezandt, Besant and Bezan. The surname has also undergone some changes in spelling over time, and the modern variants Bezzant, Bezzand, and Bezzant may be derived from the original form.

The surname can also be found in other Germanic countries with variations. In Sweden, the surname is spelled Besasant, Besaant, Besant, Besand and Besting, and in Netherlands it is spelled Besten. In Germany, the surname is found as Besting, Beszing, Bestingh, Besting, and Besend.

Overall, the Besting surname has many different spelling variants and has been recorded in various places across Europe. Ultimately, it derived from the Germanic name Bert, and has likely originated in the 12th century in either England or France.

Famous people with the name Besting

• Robert Besting: British inventor and businessman, best known for his work on turbine-powered cars that toured the world in the early 20th century.
• David Besting: German Olympic swimmer, who won a silver medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics held in Amsterdam.
• Pierre Besting: French architect, best known for his pioneering use of reinforced concrete to construct innovative bridges, most of which are located in Paris.
• Carl Besting: American lawyer and professional basketball player who played for the Boston Celtics in the early 1960s.
• Andy Besting: English-born singer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a frontman of The All That Matters.
• Frank Besting: Australian philosopher and theologian, known for his works in the philosophies of religion and theology.
• Gordon Besting: South African cricketer, who represented South Africa against England during their tour of South Africa in 1897/1898.
• Stephen Besting: Canadian Olympic rower who earned a bronze medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
• Peter Besting: New Zealand architect and furniture designer, best known for his projects involving public art and large scale buildings.
• William Besting: Irish Protestant barrister and writer who was involved in the Home Rule movement and founded the Gaelic League.

Other surnames

Bestian