Kesten - Meno

This unusual and interesting name is a variant of the (personal) name "Christian", an Olde French name introduced into England following the Norman Conquest of 1066, especially by the Breton settlers. The male personal name was derived from the Latin "Christianus", meaning "follower of Christ", from "Christus", after the Greek "Khristos", a derivative of "Kriein", to anoint. In some cases the name was used in the same form as a female name, although the forms "Christin" and "Christine" were common. The variants of the surname such as "Kestin", "Keston", and "Kesten" are Flemish and German in origin, introduced by skilled clothworkers from Europe during the 15th Century and 16th Century. Mary Kestin was christened in Wandsworth, London, on the 2nd August 1641. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Thomas Kyston, married Elizabeth Tayler, which was dated 8th June 1585, in St. Peter's, Leeds, Yorkshire, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1, known as "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.