The name Dusten has its linguistic roots in the old Germanic languages, particularly the Proto-Germanic word "dust" which meant "dust" or "powder". It likely emerged as a given name during the early medieval period, perhaps as a descriptive name for someone who lived or worked in a dusty environment.

In its earliest recorded forms, the name was spelled variants like "Dustin" or "Dustyn". These spellings can be found in some ancient Germanic texts and records from the 6th to 8th centuries AD, primarily in regions that are now parts of Germany and the Netherlands.

One of the earliest known individuals with this name was Dustin of Trier, a Frankish monk who lived in the late 7th century AD. He is sometimes referred to as Saint Dustin and was known for his philanthropic work in the Trier region of what is now western Germany.

In the 11th century, a Norwegian chieftain named Dusten Haraldsson is recorded as having led a group of Viking settlers to the coastal regions of what is now Scotland and northern England around 1050 AD.

During the Middle Ages, the name spread across Europe along with the various Germanic tribes and kingdoms. A notable bearer was Dusten von Katzenelnbogen, a German knight and military commander who fought in the Crusades in the early 13th century.

In England, one of the earliest recorded uses was Sir Dusten Fitzherbert, who served as a judge and legal scholar under King Henry III in the mid-13th century. He was instrumental in establishing some of the early common law principles still used today.

The Renaissance period saw further examples, such as the Italian artist Dusten Borri, born in Florence in 1512, who was renowned for his frescoes and religious paintings adorning churches across Tuscany.