OSLER NAME

 

Origin of surname

The name Osler is probably French in origin and may have been brought to England by the Normans after 1066 as an occupational name for an innkeeper, from the Old French "(h)ostelier" and Middle English "(h)osteler".  The term was first applied to the secular officer in a monastery responsible for lodging visitors, but much later extended to keepers of commercial hostelries.

 

Spelling of surname

There were many spelling variants, including: Osselur, Ostler, Horsler, Hustler, Oslar and Hosler. 

Examples include:

Edid le Osteler, witness Assize Court Rolls of Staffordshire (1204);

Alberic le Oselur, Feet of Fines Cambridgeshire (1208); and

William Osselur, "Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire" (1170).  

 

Over the years in the Scottish records the Osler name had many different spellings including:

Hostler, Osler, Ostler, Oslar and Husler.

 

An Angus name

As can be seen from the map, showing the 1881 distribution of ‘Oslers’, the Osler name was most

common in Angus & Perth