ISTED: NAME VARIANTS, SPELLING & PRONUNCIATION
By Bruce Isted & Kevin Isted
ISTED Name Variants & Spelling
The earliest recorded known variations of the ISTED name are contained in the Custumals for Mayfied c1285, where the name is recorded as de ISTEDE (5x) and de YSTEDE (2x) for the same people in the same document. The next known record, the 1327 Subsidy Roll (Tax List) for Mayfield only has the de ISTEDE version of the name recorded for 2 people Simone and Joha. In the next know document, the 1332 Subsidy Roll for Mayfield, these same 2 people are listed as de ISTED, i.e. the ‘e’ ending had been dropped. The next known record, a document dated 1388 relating to Boxtede (Buxted, which is an adjacent village to Mayfield) the YSTEDE variant makes a reappearance, without the ‘de’ proposition. It is believed that these 3 variations in the spelling of the name: ISTEDE, YSTEDE and ISTED would have been pronounced exactly the same at the time as the ‘I’ and ‘Y’ were both used interchangeably when representing the long ‘I’ sound in words.
During the 15th and 16th centuries the ISTEDE and ISTED forms exist interchangeably in the sparse records, but with the ISTED form eventually predominating. However, during the 16-19th centuries the ISTED surname seems to have developed many additional variants. The most common five of these being: ISTEAD, ISTEED, HISTED, HIGHSTED and HYSTED. Rarer variants are: HISTEAD, HIGHSTEAD, HYSTEAD (ie with an “A” added to the more common variant names). Even rarer variants are: EASTED, ESTED, ESTEAD, EYSTED.
The spelling of surnames before most people could write their name, tended to follow changes in pronunciation, which may have been personal, regional or even local – as in most cases they were written down by clerks in parish registers and legal documents. The clerks writing them may well not have seen how a person’s surname had been written on previous occasions, or may have forgotten it. The various clerks may possibly have assumed the family were dropping their “H”, and inserted one, or thought they heard one where one had previously not existed - assuming the ISTED name should be correctly spelt as HI(GH)STE(A)D.
As well as being aware of all the variations in spelling the name ISTED, there have been instances of transcription errors. For example in the 1881 Census in England there are instances of the ISTED name being transcribed incorrectly as JSLED, ISLED, with a ‘J’ for an ‘I’ and an ‘L’ for a ‘T’. You will need to bear this sort of thing in mind when you search various indexes during your research.
There are other names which have sometimes been suggested as variants of the ISTED name: ISSARD, IZZARD, IZETT, ISSITT, IRSTEAD, ELSTED, ASTED, UNSTE(A)D, LUSTED, HASTED, HUSTED. However, it is most unlikely that these are variations as they appear to have been well established from early times, with many having existed in areas where there is no known ISTED connection.
Pronunciation of the ISTED name
There are general rules in pronunciation of vowels and consonants in Standard English depending on their relationship with each other. Nevertheless, there are exceptions to the rules and variations in spoken English from region to region, and from country to country where English is spoken. It is also very personal at the basic level. These variations on Standard English pronunciations are probably even more evident in surnames. It is also difficult to know how pronunciation may have changed over the centuries, as there are no recordings of how English was spoken before the latter part of the 19th century (1877). And there was nothing that resembled an English dictionary before the 17th century (A TABLE ALPHABETICALL OF HARD USUAL ENGLISH WORDS (1604) by Robert Cowdrey), but even then spelling and pronunciation continued to vary widely. Nevertheless, scholars have been able to make certain assumptions on the pronunciation of words and how this has developed over time.
It is assumed that the name ISTED is derived from an Old English place name with a specific meaning. It is also believed that during the Old English period when the language started to split from the Proto-Anglo-Friesian (c475) front vowels were usually broken from following consonants and assumed to be ‘velar’, i.e. pronounced with the back of the tongue near the soft palate. In later Old English period (900 to 1400 up to Chaucer’s time) there appears to have been a generally lengthening of vowels, (c 1000), and ‘Y’ became rounded to ‘I’. There were, of course, likely regional variations and changes may have occurred at a different pace in various places.
There was an apparent general shortening of vowels later, although many persist in words such as in ‘mind’, kind’, ‘find’; and ‘child’ but not ‘children’. However, when the ISTED name first appeared in written records c1285 as de ISTEDE and de YSTEDE, being derived from a place name with a specific meaning, it would most likely have been pronounced as ‘I – sted’ with the ‘I’ making a long ‘I’ sound as in ‘mind’ etc.
Equally important to the pronunciation of words and names is where the stress is placed. This has been a bit of a moving feast with different words, over time and by region. However, in general, the stress tends to have been placed on a syllable containing a long vowel sound. Therefore, the ISTED name c1285 would most likely have been pronounced ‘I –sted’ with the stress placed on the single syllable long sounding ‘I’. This is how most people named ISTED still pronounce their name. There are, however, a few who pronounce their name as ‘Is – ted’, i.e. instead of starting with a syllable consisting of a broken ‘I’ vowel making a long ‘I’ sound, they pronounce it, ‘Is’ as the first syllable with a short ‘i’ sound.
While the majority may pronounce the ISTED name as we do, and while we believe there is some evidence to support the view that it was probably generally pronounced this way since the name was first recorded (over 700 years ago), we also believe there is room for variations and the ‘Is-ted’ and other variations in pronunciation are equally valid and in some cases provides clues to splits in branches of the family and geographical relocations. One thing that all ISTEDs (all variations in spelling and pronunciation) have in common is that most other people get it wrong and we often have to spell it out so there is no mistake.
The following is an amusing article ‘ARRY WI’ A NAITCH’ which highlights some of the problems faced with pronouncing the name ISTED (NB the spelling is as it appeared in the original article except surnames have been changed to uppercase for ease of reference.)
‘When the lad called on the Rector of Piping (county of Sussex?) in order to apply for the post of boy-of-all-work, he bore a “character” from his last employers, the village grocer and his wife. This ran as follows:-
“Me and Mrs. DINNAGE has much plesher in rekernending him. We are sorry he is leaving us, and hopes it will be for his mutual benefite.”
The parson read the foregoing with a smile, & asked, “What is your name, my boy? Your late employers don’t mention it!” “Please, zur, I be ‘Arry ISTED.”
“Yes. Let me write that down. There”- showing Harry the paper – “that is correct I suppose?”
“Naw, naw, zur! I bain’t ‘Arry ISTED, I be ‘Arry ISTED-(H-I-S-T-E-D). We ’as a naitch in ’er” stammered the youngster.
"We be from
“Well, well, Harry HISTED be it. That’s rights and you can come to-morrow morning at nine o’clock.” Having thanked the Rector, the boy turned to go, but was evidently not yet convinced. Said he: “Arry ISTED be Widder ISTED’s boy wi’out a naitch. I be ‘Arry ISTED wi’ a naitch!” [
This demonstrates that quite often it depended on an individual’s interpretation of a name. Most counties in