Last name Yost?

[Clueless]

What nationality is the last name of “Yost”? Russian?

[astro]

I’ve got a Yost in the residential division. If I see her in the office I’ll ask her.

[Ringo]

Here’s something from Yost/Jost Family History:

Origin of the Surname Yost and Jost
The most widely used alphabet on earth is the one the Romans developed and took with them as they conquered the Western world. The uppercase letters you’re reading are the same ones the Romans were reading in 600 B.C. Roman publishers developed the lowercase forms around A.D. 300.

The only changes since then came in medieval times, when printing began and typographers invented the “J” to represent the consonant value of “I” and “V” was divided into “U,” “V” and “W.”

The surname Yost is derived from Iost, a form of an old Christian name, Iodocus. When Europeans began to adopt surnames, between the year 1000 and 1500, many unrelated people selected Iodocus or Iost, probably because that was the given name of their father.

Thus, Iost became Jost. In America, Yost was gradually adopted as the spelling of the name Jost because the first letter of the name was pronounced like a “Y” as in Yes rather than like a “J” as in John.

Thus, there are many families named Jost and Yost and they are not necessarily related.

Here’s another take on it, from The Yost Family WEB Pages:

The Yost family’s European origins are from Germany and Switzerland. The earliest known origins of the family are in the Franconia region of Germany in the 17th century, then the Duchy of Franconia. The Franconia region is found in central Germany in the area around current day Frankfurt, Würzburg, Nürnburg and Bayreuth. They later migrated to the Kingdom of Wurtemberg and Emmen Valley Switzerland, near Langnau. Following the death’s of Christian and Barbara Jost as a result of religious persecutions, their four sons immigrated to Pennsylvania by way of Holland and England at the invitation of William Penn who was seeking settlers for the colony granted him. The remaining children of Christian and Barbara apparently remained in England.

The name was originally Jost or Joust which become Yost when family members immigrated to America (see Hans Casper Yost). There exists several possible sources of origin for the name any or all of which may be true. Evidence exists the name may be of Frankish origin from the Frank’s goddess Ostara or Eastara and/or from the word “joust” meaning "friendly combat. Evidence also exists the name may derive from the word for the virtue “Just” which has Persian, Monravian, Roman and Teutonic origins. For more on the origins of the name see the “Birdeen Yost” document in the Appendices.

[jay_Yost]

From the family “Yost” tree i have mansged to get back to 1777 where, it, read that the “Yosts” were German jews and persecuted. Weslian ( a Christian group) took Jews to the UK, Russsia and America and converted us on the way.

[Chefguy]

@jay_Yost

From the family “Yost” tree i have mansged to get back to 1777 where, it, read that the “Yosts” were German jews and persecuted. Weslian ( a Christian group) took Jews to the UK, Russsia and America and converted us on the way.

This thread is 16 years old, but thanks for the information.

[John_Mace]

@Chefguy

This thread is 16 years old, but thanks for the information.

His answer was yust in time!

I’d think Yost was originally Jost and either German or Dutch.

[gigi]

@Chefguy

This thread is 16 years old, but thanks for the information.

astro is certainly taking his time asking that lady.

[CurtC]

I don’t recall seeing this thread in 2001, so I’ll post this now.

I don’t recall ever coming across the name “Yost.” However, the ophthalmologist who fixed my torn retina last year is named “Jost,” which he pronounces with the “Y” sound.

[cochrane]

@jay_Yost

From the family “Yost” tree i have mansged to get back to 1777 where, it, read that the “Yosts” were German jews and persecuted. Weslian ( a Christian group) took Jews to the UK, Russsia and America and converted us on the way.

How do you pronounce your first name? “Yay”?

[Skinnybones_Lampshade]

For many years, we in Canada had the pleasure of listening to the affable Elwy Yost. He was a lovely gentleman. From Wikipedia:

“Elwy McMurran Yost, CM (July 10, 1925 – July 21, 2011) was a television host, best known for hosting CBC Television’s weekday Passport to Adventure series from 1965 to 1967, and TVOntario’s weekday Magic Shadows, from 1974 until the mid-1980s, and Saturday Night at the Movies from 1974 to 1999.”

It goes on to say that Elwy’s father was a pickle manufacturer who would give young Elwy a dime to go to the movies, on the condition that he review it for the whole family when he got home.

This may not explain the origin of his name but this thread brought back warm memories of Mr. Yost, the friendly host.

[Skinnybones_Lampshade]

I just realized that this post was in the General Questions forum, and thus deserved a factual answer and not my above ramblings. I’m sorry!

[Chefguy]

@CurtC

I don’t recall seeing this thread in 2001, so I’ll post this now.

I don’t recall ever coming across the name “Yost.” However, the ophthalmologist who fixed my torn retina last year is named “Jost,” which he pronounces with the “Y” sound.

Not even the lead singer for these guys?

[F.U.Shakespeare]

I’m wondering if this guy shared the name.

[dtilque]

@gigi

astro is certainly taking his time asking that lady.

He must have gotten [del]yost[/del] lost.

[CurtC]

Reminds me of a joke I heard yesterday:

Interviewer: Your resume’ looks great, people here like you, but one thing, there is a hole of about four years that’s not accounted for - where were you?

Applicant: I was at Yale.

I: Great - you’re hired!

A: Yay! I have a yob!

[samclem]

Eddie Yost played third base for the Washington Senators as I was growing up(1950s). He was the leadoff batter, led the league in walks most years, and hit nearly .300
every year… Memorable guy on a team of losers.