Surname Custers - Meaning and Origin
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Custers: What does the surname Custers mean?
The surname Custers is of Dutch origin, and is thought to have derived from a medieval personal name, Custer or Koster, meaning one who is in charge of a church or monastery. The name would have been popular as a result of Saint Custer or Koster, from the 11th century, who was a Dutch bishop.
The name is thought to have had a number of other spellings in the Middle Ages, including Custeau, Custes, Cusseau and Custers. Later, the Custers spelling emerged and this spelling has been used consistently for many generations.
Today, the surname Custers is most commonly found in the Netherlands, Belgium, and the United States. In the United States, those with the Custers surname are of both Dutch and German descent. In the Netherlands, the name is particularly common in the province of North Brabant.
The Custers surname indicates a connection to the church or monastery, with Dutch-speaking ancestors likely at the root of the family’s history. It is a unique name of Dutch origin that still carries meaning today.
Order DNA origin analysisCusters: Where does the name Custers come from?
The surname Custers is most common in the Netherlands, where it is one of the 50 most frequent surnames. It is also found in Belgium, France, Germany, and the United States. In the Netherlands, Custers is an occupational surname likely derived from the Dutch word koster, meaning “sexton” or “caretaker of a church.” In Belgium, Custers is concentrated in the Flemish provinces of West Flanders and East Flanders.
In the United States, Custers is primarily concentrated in the Midwest and upper Great Plains regions. It is primarily found in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, although it can also be found in scattered pockets in other nearby states such as South Dakota, Nebraska, and Michigan. In the early 20th century, Custers was found with some frequency in Michigan and Pennsylvania.
The surname Custers is thought to have immigrated to the United States when more Dutch immigrants arrived in the mid-19th century. Many of these immigrants settled in the Midwest, particularly in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Other Custers families can be found in France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
Although Custers is not a particularly common surname in the United States, there are a significant number of individuals with the name in the Midwest and Upper Plains regions. As such, it would not be too far of a stretch to assume that the surname may have some tradition in these areas.
Variations of the surname Custers
The surname Custers is of Dutch origin, and variations of the name include: Kusters, Custers, Kuster, Kustard, Kustert, Kusteler, Custer, Custard, and Cuslart.
Kusters is the most common form of the name, and is derived from custer, the word for copper in the Dutch language. Custers is an anglicized form of Kusters, and other variations of this are Custard, Custeler, and Cuslart.
Kuster is an old and rare variant that originated in Germany, while Kustard may be a variant of Custard with a spelling change, likely from Germany. Kustert is a rare German surname derived from custer, meaning copper.
Custer is an Americanized version of Kusters, and is the most common form of the name in the United States. Custer is also popular in South Africa, where it was brought by Dutch settlers.
Custard is also an American variation of the name, and is derived from the German kuster, meaning copper. This form of the name is found mostly in England and Scotland.
Cuslart is a rare variant of the name, likely originating in the Netherlands. It is an amalgamation of the letters C, U, S and T from the name Custers.
No matter the variant, all spellings of the surname Custers are derived from the word copper in Dutch.
Famous people with the name Custers
- George Armstrong Custer: He was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars.
- Marcus Reno Custer: He was a politician and rancher from California who served in the Assembly and Senate in the late 19th century.
- George Custer Jr.: He was the son of George Armstrong Custer and, like his father, served in the United States military.
- Dennis Custer: He was an early American filmmaker and the first full-time employee of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
- Myles Keogh: He was an Irish-American soldier who fought in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. He was famously killed at the battle of the Little Bighorn alongside George Armstrong Custer.
- Armstrong Custer: He was the brother of George Armstrong Custer and also served in the United States military.
- Elizabeth Bacon Custer: She was the second wife of George Armstrong Custer and wrote a biography of him.
- Elizabeth Griswold Custer: She was the second wife of George Armstrong Custer Jr. and the daughter-in-law of George Armstrong Custer.
- Monroe Custer: He was a Brigadier General in the United States military and the son of Marcus Reno Custer.
- Walter P. Custer: He was the mayor of Los Angeles from 1923 to 1929 and the son of Marcus Reno Custer.