English word origin

Etymology of Aster

From aster (“a plant of the genus Aster”) and its etymon Latin astēr (“a star”).

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

name

A unisex given name from Latin.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From aster (“a plant of the genus Aster”) and its etymon Latin astēr (“a star”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mentionastērla · a star

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "args": {
        "1": "Aster",
        "2": "genus"
      },
      "expansion": "Aster"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "astēr",
        "t": "a star"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin astēr (“a star”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "aster",
      "aster#English"
    ],
    [
      "Aster",
      "Aster#Translingual"
    ],
    [
      "astēr",
      "aster#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A unisex given name from Latin."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 323068
    }
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

name

A surname.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

* From German Aster, originating as a nickname from Middle High German agelster (“a magpie”), owing to the bird being known especially in the Middle Ages for mischievous tricks. * A variant of Easter.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionAsterde
Derivation mentionagelstergmh · a magpie

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "de",
        "3": "Aster"
      },
      "expansion": "German Aster"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmh",
        "3": "agelster",
        "t": "a magpie"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle High German agelster (“a magpie”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "Aster",
      "Aster#German"
    ],
    [
      "agelster",
      "agelster#Middle_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "Middle Ages",
      "Middle Ages"
    ],
    [
      "Easter",
      "Easter#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A surname."
      ],
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Aster →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-QXN0ZXI