Oster Family History
Oster Name Meaning
Swedish (Öster) and German: topographic name from Swedish öster, Middle Low German and Middle High German oster ‘eastern’, denoting someone who lived to the east of a settlement or who had come there from the east. In many cases the Swedish name is probably ornamental. German: nickname for someone who had a connection with the festival of Easter (for example, someone who was born or baptized at that time), from Oster ‘Easter’. Jewish (Ashkenazic): topographic or ornamental name from German Ost ‘east’ or ornamental name from German Oster ‘Easter’; compare 1 and 3. Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): nickname from Polish ostry or Russian ostryj ‘sharp’, ‘sharp-minded’. Dutch: from a Germanic personal name composed of aust ‘east’ + heri, hari ‘army’.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press