The associated coat of arms for this name are recorded in J.B Rietstaps Armorial General. Illustrated by V & H.V Rolland's. This Monumental work took 23 years to complete and 85,000 coats of Arms are included in this work. This surname of ASTOR was a Provencal nickname for someone with a fancied resemblance to a bird of prey. The name was originally derived from the Old Provencal word ASTUR, and rendered in ancient documents in the Latin form AUCEPTOR. The name is also spelt ASTORI, ASTURI and ASTORINI. It was not until the 10th century that modern hereditary surnames first developed, and the use of fixed names spread, first to France, and then England, then to Germany and all of Europe. In these parts of Europe, the individual man was becoming more important, commerce was increasing and the exact identification of each man was becoming a necessity. Even today however, the Church does not recognise surnames. Baptisms and marriages are performed through use of the Christian name alone. Thus hereditary names as we know them today developed gradually during the 11th to the 15th century in the various European countries. There are many notables of this name which include John Jacob ASTOR (1763-1848) the German-born American fur trader and financier, founder of the America Fur company, and a noted family of financiers, born in Walldorf, near Heidelberg. He helped on his father's farm until, aged 16 he went to London and worked with his brother, a maker of musical instruments. In 1784 he sailed to the United States and invested his small capital in a fur business. He founded the settlement of Astoria in 1811. He became one of the most powerful financiers in the USA, and at his death left about 20 million dollars, and a legacy of 350,000 dollars to found a public library. John Jacob ASTOR (1864-1912) the American financier, was the great-grandson of John Jacob. He served in the Spanish-American war, and built part of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. He was drowned with the 'Titanic'. William WALDORF ASTOR, 3rd Viscount (1907-66) was the English politician. He was educated at Eton and New College, Oxford, and sat as MP for East Fulham (1935-45) and for Wycombe (1951-52).