Poston
An English surname that likely began as a place-name surname, probably tied to a minor locality or a reduced form of an older occupational surname such as apothecary.
The #3,434 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 29,698 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The historical sources point to Poston as an English surname with a locative flavor, but they do not give a single secure derivation. One line of scholarship connects it with place-names in Herefordshire and Shropshire, suggesting a surname taken from a local place. Another notes forms such as Pothecary/Apothecary and related surnames, hinting that some examples may ultimately go back to an occupational name rather than a true place-name.
History
The name is attested in English surname discussions from the 19th century, where it appears alongside forms like Postel, Postle, and Pothecary. In later usage it spread beyond Britain; by the 20th century it is found in North America and other English-speaking regions. Because the early evidence is fragmentary and partly speculative, it is best treated as a surname with more than one possible origin line.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A 19th-century surname writer grouped Poston with several other names that look very different today, showing how elastic spelling and pronunciation could be in older records.
From the historical record
“Poselt ; a p.n. Poston. A loc. n., Heref., Salop Potchett. See Pockett Pothecary. From Apothecary; the occupation”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)