Surname Paustian - Meaning and Origin

Paustian: What does the surname Paustian mean?

The last name Paustian is a German surname, first found in the area of the former East Prussia. The name is derived from a toponymic name, based on a place-name where the family name originated. The term 'paust' is derived from an old German word meaning 'shallow, marshy area', leading to the literal translation of 'Paustian' to mean someone from a marshy or swampy area.

This type of name usually appears when a family is large and has multiple generations living around the same area, such as a small farming village. In this case, the family has either lived in an area around, or derives from a place-name, that includes marshy land. This also suggests that the family would have been involved in farming activities, as marshy land is good for growing crops.

In modern times, the Paustian surname is spread throughout Germany, and other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and other English-speaking countries. Those who possess this surname have been known to be successful at whatever they set out to do in life, often taking full advantage of their diligence and determination to reach the highest level of success.

Paustian: Where does the name Paustian come from?

The last name Paustian is an occupational name derived from the German word pausten, which means "to pound or stamp." Today, the last name Paustian is fairly common in Germany, as well as countries with German-speaking communities, such as Austria, Switzerland, and Czech Republic. It is also found in some parts of the United States, particularly in areas of heavy German immigration such as central and eastern Pennsylvania.

As with most patronymic surnames, the last name Paustian typically began to spread to other parts of Europe outside of Germany. Global migration has spread the Paustian surname to numerous countries and regions all over the world, from Greenland and Scandinavia to the African continent.

In the United States, the last name Paustian has become increasingly rare, due to name changes associated with assimilation. While emigrants from Europe brought the last name paustian to North America and Australia during the early part of the 20th century, many chose to anglicize their name when they arrived, in an attempt to make it sound more native to their chosen countries.

Despite the name changes, it is not difficult to find the surname Paustian today. People with this last name can be found in Germany, Scandinavia and the United States, in among other countries. Cases where name changes have been made are often discoverable through genealogical research and DNA testing.

Variations of the surname Paustian

The variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for the surname Paustian can be found in multiple languages from different regions of the world.

In Germany, the surname is sometimes spelled Pauschman or Pauschmann. It can also be spelled Pauchman, Pauchmann, Paushman, and Paushmann depending on the dialect or region. The Dutch spelling of the surname is Pauschman or Pauwman; in French, it can be spelled Pojet or Pojez. In Spain, the name is spelled Postman or Postmann and in Italian, it is spelled Postmanni.

In many parts of Scandinavia, the surname is also spelled Paustian. In Norway, the most common variant is Paustian and it can also be found as Postman, Paussman, Poestman, Pestman and Poestmann. In Denmark, the surnames Pestmann and Poustman are common variants. In Sweden, the name appears as Pausson, Postman, Poestman and Pustman.

In Eastern Europe, the name is often spelled as Poztman or Poztmann in countries like Hungary or Poland. It can also be found in Russia as Poestman and in Romania as Postman or Poestman.

Finally, in the United States the surname is often spelled Paustian, although, it may be found spelled as Poushman, Postman, Paussman, Postmann or Poostman. While these surnames are all related, they can be quite different depending on the region they are found in.

Famous people with the name Paustian

• Willie Paustian: American singer-songwriter from Macon, Georgia who is best known for his debut single "Just a Prayer"
• Tim Paustian: American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies
• Kristin Paustian: American soccer player who represented the United States in the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
• Richard Paustian: American politician who served in the Iowa Senate from 2011 to 2018
• Richard Paustian: American architect and pioneer of organic architecture, the prairie school of architecture
• Dirk Paustian: German ice hockey player who played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) between 1980 and 2000
• Mason Paustian: American college basketball player who currently plays for the Wisconsin Badgers
• Bill Paustian: American lawyer and politician who has served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2015
• Mark Paustian: American golfer who won the 2005 Iowa Amateur
• Paul Paustian: American illustrator best known for his work in Physics and Physical Chemistry textbooks.

Other surnames

Paustiann