Origins of the Foster surname
What does the name Foster mean?
The Foster surname is predominantly English, where it has been recorded in use from the 1100s onwards. Foster derives as an occupational surname from a number of sources. Firstly it comes from a 'forester', the name for a forest warden or gamekeeper. Secondly the surname Foster is believed to derive from the Old English 'Forseter' (shearer), given to those who shear sheep and their descendants. Most rarely Foster has been hypothesised to relate to a 'fosterer', someone who feeds and looks after children in place of their parents.
Alternative variations of the name Foster
Foster, Forster, Forrester, Forester, Fostar
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Common jobs for Fosters
Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.
Common female occupations for Fosters in 1921
Dressmaker
1,680
Domestic Servant
1,012
General Servant Domestic
963
Laundress
918
Living On Own Means
763
Common male occupations for Fosters in 1921
Coal Miner
1,910
Agricultural Labourer
1,605
General Labourer
1,467
Farmer
1,029
Farm Labourer
1,026
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