Surname Coersten - Meaning and Origin
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Coersten: What does the surname Coersten mean?
The last name Coersten is a Dutch surname meaning “from the courser stream” or “from the rapid stream.” The name may have been given to those who lived near a body of water that had a high and fast-moving current. Alternatively, it may have been given to brewers, who need a high-pressure stream to force liquid through hops in the brewing of beer.
The name also may be a topographical reference to a location near a rapid stream, such as a river, creek, or brook. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Dutch towns were often named after their geographical characteristics or features of the local landscape. Thus, families with the surname Coersten may have historically resided near a body of water known for its speed and strength.
The spelling of the name has changed over time, with variant spellings such as Coreards and Coursten appearing in records from the Netherlands. Some of the earliest instances of the name appear in Dutch records from the seventeenth century. A records search from the market town of Willemstad found a Cornelis Coreards living in the region around 1637.
The name Coersten is likely Dutch in origin, but variations of the same name may be found in other countries. It has spread around the world, with members of the Coersten family living in the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.
Order DNA origin analysisCoersten: Where does the name Coersten come from?
The last name Coersten is most commonly associated with Germany and the Netherlands today. It is derived from the Germanic root words ‘kor’ meaning ‘bold’ and ‘stern’ meaning ‘star’, and is believed to have originated from the Saxons of northern Germany.
The surname is most bouyantly found in western Germany, particularly in the region of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is also found scattered throughout the Netherlands, specifically in the major provinces of North Holland, South Holland, Utrecht and Overijssel. A distinctive concentration of Coersten’s can be found around the town of Almere, located in the province of Flevoland.
Outside of Europe, the name has managed to make its way over to the United States, particularly the states of North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Utah, Idaho, California and New York. It is likely that those in the US are descended from German immigrants who adopted the name during their Surname Fixation phase of migration.
Despite being known in certain parts of the world, the name Coersten is still comparatively rare, yet it has remained amongst small populations for centuries.
Variations of the surname Coersten
Coersten is an uncommon and rare recordable surname, known to have German origin. It is believed to have begun as a byname derived from the Middle High German ‘chor’ or ‘kor’ meaning ‘choir’ or ‘music’, thus denoting ‘choirmaster,’ ‘musician’ or ‘performer.’ The main spelling for the name is Coersten, which is already relatively uncommon, but there are also a few other variants that have arisen over the course of many years, such as Coerst, Coerstant, Coerstan, Coerste, Coerstein, and Coerster.
Surnames derived from Coersten have also developed from different parts of countries. In areas like Northern Germany, the surname has been known to develop into Korst, Korstner, and Korsten. In parts of the Netherlands, it has taken on the form of Kors and Korsten. In the United States, it is sometimes spelled Corsten or Corstan, while in England it can be found as Corston or Corston. Each of these surnames have a similar meaning and history, and as a result, all can be traced back to the same geographical location and original surname.
Despite their diversity, the variants of the Coersten surname share the same family history, with each branch of the family tree ultimately stemming from the original Choirmaster ancestors. All in all, the variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Coersten provide a fascinating insight into the origins of a family and how names have evolved over time.
Famous people with the name Coersten
- Bill Coersten: American computer scientist and engineer.
- Eric Coersten: American entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Hummel authority, a Danish sportswear company.
- Federico Coersten: Spanish artist and sculptor.
- Heiner Coersten: German television presenter and humorist.
- Jan Coersten: Dutch swimmer who competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics.
- Lothar Coersten: German author and journalist.
- Mae Coersten: author of the book ‘Stolen Identity’.
- Steve Coersten: American basketball coach and executive.
- Michael Coersten: Austrian musician and composer.
- Peter Coersten: German musician and composer.
- Robert Coersten: Brewer and current owner of Deschutes Brewery.