Lower, Mark A (1860) Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom. London: J.R. Smith. Public Domain.
FOSTER
There are approximately 85,712 people named Foster in the UK. That makes it the 83rd most common surname overall. Out of every million people in the UK, approximately 1,357 are named Foster.
Region of origin
British Isles
Country of origin
England
Language of origin
English
Religion of origin
Christian
Classification
English
Occupational Name
Related and similar surnames
ForsterFoister
Foerster
Forester
Fister
Fester
Faster
Feaster
Fiester
Feister
Fewster
Foaster
Ffoster
F'Oster
Ffostar
Ffosterd
Fogster
Ffoyster
Ffoister
Foeister
Foiester
Foistier
Feoster
Foester
Ffostard
Foisters
Foistar
Fociter
Fooster
Ffouster
Foesster
The Foster surname in historical dictionaries
Patronymica Britannica (1860)
FOSTER. Sometimes a contraction of Forester : but tliere is an origin at least equally probable, viz : fosterer, one who feeds and has the charge of children instead of their parents. " When a gesithcundman left his land, he was at liberty to take away his Reeve, his Smith, and his child's Fosterer. Laws of Ina, King of Wessex. Thorpe, i. 145. Archajologia, xxxiii. 277.