Auster
A surname derived from Austro, the Latin word for east or southeastern referring to residence or origin.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 377 Americans carry the last name Auster. That puts it at #61,585 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 909,163 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Auster surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
377
1 in 909,163
Census rank
#61,585
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
326
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 326 bearers of the surname Auster in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 61585th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Auster, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Auster
The surname Auster has its origins in Germany and surrounding regions of Central Europe. It is derived from the Old German word 'aust', meaning east or eastern. As such, the name likely referred to someone who lived in the eastern part of a town or village, or who had migrated from the east.
In the early medieval period, the name appeared in various Germanic records and manuscripts with spellings like 'Oster', 'Oester', and 'Auster'. One of the earliest known references is from the Codex Traditionum of the Monastery of Reichenau in the 9th century, where an individual named Austriger is mentioned.
The name also appears in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, compiled by order of William the Conqueror to record landholdings in England. Here, the name is spelled 'Austere' and refers to a landholder in the county of Wiltshire.
Notable historical figures with the surname Auster include Johann Auster (1485-1542), a German theologian and Reformer who was a close associate of Martin Luther. In the 16th century, Hans Auster (1547-1611) was a prominent German composer and organist.
Later, in the 18th century, Johann Christoph Auster (1728-1797) was a respected German mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. His contemporary, Johann Samuel Auster (1735-1799), was a German painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
Moving into the 19th century, Carl Auster (1813-1892) was a German-American political activist and journalist who played a key role in the failed German revolutions of 1848-49 before emigrating to the United States.
While these are just a few notable examples, the surname Auster has a long and rich history that can be traced back to its Germanic roots and the medieval period in Central Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Auster
Among Census respondents with the surname Auster, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Auster bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Auster surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8%
- Black or African American4.3%
- Hispanic or Latino4.3%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Auster surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #61,585 | #61,585 | 0.0% |
| Count | 326 | 326 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.11 | 0.11 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Auster bearers went from 326 to 326 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #61,585 to #61,585.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Auster
FAQ
Auster surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Auster?
The surname Auster holds position #61,585 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 377 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Auster surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Auster, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.3%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.