Oesting Name Study

Surname/tag: Oesting

About the Project

The Oesting Name Study project serves as a collaborative platform to collect information on the Oesting name. The hope is that other researchers like you will join the study to help make it a valuable reference point for other genealogists who are researching or have an interest in the Oesting name.

As a One Name Study, this project is not limited to persons who are related biologically. Individual studies can be used to branch out the research into specific methods and areas of interest, such as geographically (England Oestings), by time period (18th Century Oestings), or by topic (Oesting DNA, Oesting Occupations, Oesting Statistics). These studies may also include a number of family branches which have no immediate link with each other. Some researchers may even be motivated to go beyond the profile identification and research stage to compile fully sourced, single-family histories of some of the families they discover through this name study project.

Also see the related surnames and surname variants.

How to Join

To join the Oesting Name Study, first start out by browsing our current research pages to see if there is a specific study ongoing that fits your interests. If so, feel free to add your name to the Membership list below, post an introduction comment on the specific team page, and then dive right in!

If a research page does not yet exist for your particular area of interest, please contact the Name Study Coordinator: Bethany Oesting for assistance.

Once you are ready to go, you can also show your project affiliation with the ONS Member Sticker:

Research Pages

Here are some of the current research pages included in the study. I'll be working on them, and could use your help!

Membership

Related Surnames and Surname Variants

None identified

This study is for the purpose of tracking the Oesting name, which means in modern naming conventions that the male line only is tracked. Because matrilineal and genetic genealogy are also important to the author of this study, a category called Oesting Descendants has been created to track Oesting lineage through the female lines. If you have another surname but are related to an Oesting descendant, and have an autosomal or mtDNA test done, please contact Bethany Oesting through Wikitree.

Earliest Records

The earliest documented records of the name Oesting found so far are birth and marriage records from Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898. There are approximately 150 Oestings listed, most of which are located within a 20 mile radius on the eastern edge of Westfalen and the Principality of Lippe, in the region that was Preußen (Prussia). ALL documentation of the name Oesting before 1850 occurs in this region.

The name is currently found in Germany, the United States, and there may be instances in the Netherlands.

Oesting Migrations to the United States

There appear to be several separate migrations of Oestings from Prussia/Hanover to the United States. Migrations are 'named' in arbitrary order for the purpose of tracking the different lines.

Oesting immigrants to the United States on Wikitree are in the category Oesting Immigrants to the United States, Oesting Name Study. As of 31 May 2016, all known Oesting immigrants to the United States were born in Prussia/Germany, as per their self-reports on US Census records.

Migration A: Paul Oesting to California

The first Oesting recorded on the United States Census was Paul Oesting, recorded in 1860 in California with birthplace listed as Prussia. Paul's family appear to be distinct from later Oesting residents of California. Paul had at least two sons, Will and Paul; documentation of Paul Sr's wife has not been found.

Migration B: Henry Frederick and John Frederick William Oesting to Richmond, Indiana

The 1870 Census, as well as later census records and local directories, showed two men with the surname Oesting living in Richmond, Indiana. Henry Frederick Oesting arrived in the United States on 19 Aug 1868 according to census and immigration records, and self-reported a naturalization year of 1870. John Frederick William Oesting self-reported an immigration year of 1866 and a naturalization year of 1868 on his 1920 census record. The originator of this One Name Study descends from John Frederick William Oesting.

No records have been found which in any way show the relationship between Henry Frederick and John Frederick William. Henry Frederick self-reported his birthdate as April 1846, and John Frederick William self-reported his birthdate as May 1846. They were likely connected to each other in some way but may not have been brothers. They both married German immigrants and appear to have been members of a close German community in Richmond. Henry Frederick moved to San Diego, California and was buried in Tulare. Their parents' names have not been determined.

Descendants of John Frederick William Oesting can now be found in Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and North Carolina.

Migration B1: William C Oesting to Kansas

William C Oesting, abt. 1834 to 1914, according to newspaper articles, was the brother of one Henry Frederick Oesting who resided in California in the 1900's-1910's; he settled in Kansas and the newspaper claims his brother did as well. This is almost certainly Henry Frederick Oesting, because no other Oestings were in California during the timeframe. William had one son who died in his twenties. His parents' names have not been determined.

Migration C: John Oesting to Ohio

The 1870 Census shows a John D. Oesting in Hamilton County, Ohio, born in Prussia 1813, died 1884. John and his family actually moved to Seymour, Indiana, and were there for at least a generation or more. There is nothing so far to indicate a relationship between the other Oestings in Wayne County, Indiana, but data is sparse.

Migration C1: John Joseph Oesting to Ohio and Kentucky

The current Kentucky Oestings descend from John Joseph 'Joseph' Oesting, approx. 1866-1945. Joseph may or may not be related to John D. Oesting 1813-1884 of Ohio and Indiana; their parents' names have not been determined.

Migration D: Sons of Georg Oesting and Hanne Bruggemann, to New Bedford, Massachusetts

Carl August Wilhelm Oesting, Wilhelm Theodor Oesting, and Georg Heinrich Oesting represent what is perhaps the best documented migration of Oestings, due in part to their descendants' success in real estate in the New Bedford area. Their parents' marriage and their and their siblings' birth records are also very complete; this family is from Minden Stadt, Westfalia, Prussia. Some descendants of this family moved to California, as well as New Jersey and Connecticut. All descendants of this migration trace back to Georg Heinrich Oesting and Johanne Louise (Brueggemann) Oesting in Minden Stadt, Prussia.

Immigration Records

The "United States Germans to America Index, 1850-1897" from FamilySearch was analyzed for groupings. The following Oestings traveled together to America:

Henriette Oesting, a female age 17, and Marie Oesting, a female age 48, arrived 02 September 1861 in New York, New York, United States on the ship Ottilie from Bremen. They were born in Hanover. Occupation and literacy were unknown/unlisted. They gave their destination place as Connecticut. They were listed as Staying in the USA [Transit]; Cabin Passenger [Travel].^[1]

Georg-Heinr. Oesting, age 39, Fritz Oesting, age 7, and August Oesting, age 5, arrived 17 August 1864 in New York, New York, United States on the ship Stella from Bremen. He was born in Germany. Destination place was simply listed as "USA". Georg-Heinrich's occupation was "Cigar Maker". They were listed as Staying in the USA [Transit]; Cabin Passenger [Travel].^[2][3][4]