Mastin
A surname most likely from a medieval personal name or nickname, though its exact origin is not securely settled.
The #8,119 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 75,580 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Mastin is not firmly explained by the excerpts available. It may be related to a medieval personal name or to a nickname built on a word for a mastiff-like dog, but the evidence here is indirect and not enough to be certain. In historical surname work, forms like this are often difficult to separate from similar names and local spellings.
History
The surname is recorded in English usage, with one source noting its presence in Lincolnshire. The name seems to have been in circulation as a relatively uncommon local surname rather than a major nationwide one. Because the excerpts do not include a direct dictionary entry for the surname’s derivation, its early history remains unclear.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The spelling is easy to confuse with the common word mastiff, but the surname itself is not securely derived from that animal name.
From the historical record
“durns, de AoL, p. 194. De granx perrei lance al mastin. BtfN., Chron. de Norm,, t. 18511. D'où le diminutif perrette^ petite pierre :”
— Noms de famille normands