Foster (surname)

Foster is a surname which derives from the ancient title and office bestowed upon those overseeing the upkeep and administration of hunting territories belonging to either the monarch or bishop (where empowered to grant warren). The title begins to be adopted as a surname, in the historical record, from the 12th and 13th century onwards.

Related surnames include Forster and Forester.

Notable people named Foster[]

A[]

• Abby Kelley Foster, American abolitionist
• Abiel Foster (1735–1806), American religious leader and politician
• Adriance S. Foster (1901–1973), American botanist
• Al Foster, American jazz drummer
• Alan Dean Foster (born 1946), American writer
• , Brisbane city architect and designer of Kurilpa Library (1928)
• Alison Foster (born 1957), British judge
• Amy Foster (born 1992), British actor
• Andrew Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Andrew Foster-Williams, British classical singer
• Arian Foster, American football player
• Arlene Foster, Northern Ireland politician
• Audrey Hylton-Foster, Baroness Hylton-Foster, British life peer
• Augustus Foster (1780–1848), British diplomat

B[]

• Barry Foster (actor) (1927–2002), British actor
• Barry Foster (American football) (b. 1968), American football player
• Ben Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Bill Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Blake Foster, American actor
• Bob Foster (disambiguation), one of several people
• Brad Foster (boxer) (born 1997), British boxer
• Brendan Foster (b. 1948), British runner
• Brenden Foster (1997–2008), American fundraiser
• Brigitte Foster-Hylton, Jamaican hurdler

C[]

• Carey Foster (1835–1919), English chemist and physicist
• Carlton Foster (1826–1901), American businessman and politician
• Catherine Foster (born 1975), English soprano
• Cecil Foster, Canadian writer
• Cecil G. Foster (1925–2016), USAF Korean War ace
• Charles Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Christopher Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Clement le Neve Foster, British geologist
• Clyde Foster (1931–2019), American scientist and mathematician

D[]

• Daniel Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Darryll James "D. J." Foster (born 1993), American footballer
• Dave Foster, American drummer for the American grunge band Nirvana
• David Foster (disambiguation), several people
• David Kirby Foster, Baptist minister and community leader from Missouri
• Dawn Foster, British journalist
• Defne Joy Foster (1975–2011), Turkish actress, presenter, VJ
• Denzil Foster, of American record producers Foster & McElroy
• Derek Foster (disambiguation), several people
• DeShaun Foster (born 1980), American football player
• Donald Foster (politician), British politician
• Donald W. Foster, American Professor of English and a linguistic/literary sleuth
• Douglas A. Foster, Professor of Church History at Abilene Christian University
• Dudley Foster (1925–1973), British actor
• Dwight Foster (disambiguation), several people

E[]

• Edward Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Enid Foster (1895–1979), American sculptor
• Ephraim H. Foster, American politician
• Ezola B. Foster, American activist

F[]

• Fiona Foster, British television journalist
• Florence Foster, American soprano Florence Foster Jenkins
• Frank Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Fred Foster, American songwriter

G[]

• Gary Evans Foster, American World War I Medal of honor recipient
• George Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Gerald Claude Eugene Foster (1885–1966), Jamaican sportsman
• Gloria Foster, American actress
• Greg Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Gwendolyn Audrey Foster, American academic

H[]

• Hal Foster (1892–1982), Canadian-American comic strip creator
• Hal Foster (art critic), American art critic
• Hannah Webster Foster, American novelist
• Harry Hylton-Foster, British politician
• Harry Wickwire Foster, Canadian General in World War II
• Heather Foster, Jamaican-born American professional bodybuilder
• Henry Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Hunter Foster, American entertainer

I[]

• Ian Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Israel Moore Foster, American politician
• Ivan Foster, Northern Ireland Presbyterian minister and politician

J[]

• Jack Foster (disambiguation), several people
• James Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Jane Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Jeanne Robert Foster, American poet
• Jeff Foster (basketball), American basketball player
• Jeff Foster (spiritual teacher), British author and public speaker
• Jessie Foster, Canadian prostitute
• Jim Foster (American football), executive in American football
• Jim Foster (activist), American LGBT and Democratic activist
• Jodie Foster (born 1962), American actress
• John Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Jon Foster, American actor
• Jon Foster (artist), American illustrator
• Josephine Foster, American musician
• Juliette Foster, British television journalist

K[]

• Kathy Foster (basketball) (born 1960), Australian basketball player
• Kathy Foster (musician), American musician
• Keith Foster (born 1948), Jamaican reggae singer and producer
• Karen Foster, American model and actress
• Kimberly Foster, American actress
• Kurtis Foster, Canadian ice hockey player

L[]

• Lafayette S. Foster, American politician
• Lisa Foster, Canadian actress
• Luke Foster, English footballer

M[]

• Marcia Lane Foster (1897–1983), English artist and book illustrator
• Marcus Foster, American educator
• Mark Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Mary LeCron Foster (1914–2001), American anthropological linguist
• Maurice Foster (disambiguation)
• Meg Foster, American actress
• Michael Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Murphy J. Foster (1849–1921), American politician
• Murphy J. Foster, Jr. (1930–2020), American politician
• Murray Foster (b. 1967), Canadian musician
• Myles Birket Foster, English watercolourist

N[]

• Neal Foster (born 1972), member of the Alaska House of Representatives
• Neil Foster, English cricketer
• Norman Foster (disambiguation), several people

P[]

• Paul H. Foster (1939–1967), American Marine and Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient
• Peter Foster, Australian con man
• Phil Foster, American actor
• Philip Foster, American businessman
• Pops Foster (1892–1969), American jazz musician
• Preston Foster (1901–1970), American actor and singer

R[]

• Radney Foster, American musician
• Ralph Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Randolph Sinks Foster, American Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church
• Reginald Erskine Foster, English footballer and cricketer
• Father Reginald Foster, American Catholic priest
• Reuben Foster (born 1994), American football player
• Richard Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Robert Fitzroy Foster (b. 1949), Irish historian and author
• Robert Frederick Foster (1853–1945), Scottish-American author on rules of games
• Robert Sidney Foster, British Governor of Fiji
• Rod Foster (born 1960), American basketball player
• Ron Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Roy Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Rube Foster (1879–1930), pioneer of Negro league baseball
• Rusty Foster, Kuro5hin founder

S[]

• Sara Michael Foster, American actress
• Scott Michael Foster, American actor
• Shan Foster, American college basketball player
• Stephen Foster (disambiguation)
• Steve Foster (disambiguation)
• Susanna Foster (1924–2009), American movie actress
• Sutton Foster (born 1975), American entertainer
• Sydney F. Foster (1893–1973), New York judge

T[]

• Theodore Foster (1752–1828), U.S. politician
• Thomas Foster (disambiguation), several people
• Tim Foster (soccer), American soccer player
• Tim Foster, British rower

V[]

• Vince Foster (1945–1993), attorney for Bill Clinton

W[]

• Walter Edward Foster, Canadian politician
• Wilder D. Foster (1819–1873), U.S. Representative from Michigan
• Will Foster, British musician
• William A. Foster (1915–1945), American Marine and World War II Medal of Honor recipient
• William Z. Foster (1891–1961), American activist

Fictional characters[]

• Doctor Foster, nursery rhyme character
• Rita Foster, character in the film Cypher (2002)
• Robert Foster, protagonist character in the adventure game Beneath a Steel Sky
• Michael Foster, the main antagonist in the film The Call (2013)
• Hayley Foster, a main character in Power Rangers Ninja Steel
• Isaac Foster, a main character in Angels of Death

See also[]

• Foster (disambiguation)
• Ellen Foster, novel
• Forster (disambiguation)