Surname Decoster - Meaning and Origin
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Decoster: What does the surname Decoster mean?
The last name Decoster comes from the Dutch word "De Koster," which translates to "the sexton." A sexton is a person with an official role in a parish or church responsible for the maintenance of the fabric of the building, and the associated land. Historically, sextons were involved in many additional tasks around the church, such as ringing the bells, handling burial records and land grants, and officiating the burial of the dead.
The Decosters were likely to have held the role of sexton for a family that owned land near one or more churches in the area, making them a prominent family in the community. It is believed that the Decosters descend from the 16th-century Dutch immigrants, who brought the name with them to the United States.
The name Decoster is common in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. Today, the Decosters are most commonly found in the United States, Canada, and other parts of the world.
The name Decoster is believed to have come with the family's faith, which is thought to have been Calvinist, as is common among many immigrant families. The name has also been speculated to have been derived from a Germanic word "Koster," which translates to mean "churchwarden."
Overall, the name Decoster is an honorable name, steeped in religious and cultural ties. It indicates a family with a long history of service to their community and reinforces the idea that one's faith and hard work can have a lasting impact on both the present and the future.
Order DNA origin analysisDecoster: Where does the name Decoster come from?
The last name Decoster is most commonly found in Belgium and France today. It is likely of Middle Dutch origin, with its meaning referring to a “person from the forest” – the family was probably originally living in a wooded area. It is thought that the Decosters were from the area that is now Wallonia in Belgium, and many still live in the region today.
The name is also found scattered throughout Belgium, and is particularly prevalent in the provinces of West Flanders, Hainaut, East Flanders, and Luxembourg. It is also common in Northern France and in the French department of Pas-de-Calais.
People with the Decoster surname may be surprised to learn that there are other variants of the name, such as the French Decoste or Decostey, the Dutch Decosteren, and the Latinized Decosterius.
The Decoster name is also recorded in some English records, often with the spelling 'Decoster' or 'Decostere'. It is thought that this spelling may have been adopted by Belgian or Dutch families who settled in England.
The Decoster family crest typically includes an eagle, and the motto “pardus pro libertate” – meaning “a leopard for liberty”.
Variations of the surname Decoster
The Decoster surname has several variants, spellings, and surnames derived from the same origin. These include Deckster, Destoer, Deckoer, Dekster, Dekoer, Deskoer, Descoer, Descooer, Descoor, Descoor, Despoer, De Strooter, De Strooter, and Demeeuw.
The Decoster surname is derived from the Latin word ‘secus’, which meant ‘by the side of’. The name originated from a person who was living near a forest. The name Decker is derived from the Old Dutch word ‘Dekker’ which means roofer or roof maker. The name Deckoer was derived from the Dutch word for ‘roofer’.
The Decoster surname frequently varied in spelling and pronunciation depending on the country and the region where people lived and the language they spoke. People with Dutch roots often used the phonetic spelling of their name, while those with French heritage pronounced their surname with a French accent. In Germany, the name was usually spelled Decoer or Decouer.
The variants of the surname Decoster are still common throughout the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Canada, and the United States. Variations of the surname are also found in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
Famous people with the name Decoster
- Stan Van Samang: Belgian singer, actor and improvisational comedian
- Peter DeCoster: American racecar driver
- Jake DeCoster: Member of the band Broods
- Brecht DeCoster: Belgian actress
- Thirza DeCoster: Belgian actress
- Demmy DeCoster: Dutch actress
- Mike DeCoster– durum wheat breeder
- Pascale DeCoster: Belgian actress
- Willem deCoster: Dutch sculptor
- Ellie deCoster: professional skier