Foster

Meaning of Foster

Foster strides into the nursery like a genial forest warden fresh from an Umbrian stroll, his syllables—FAW-ster—rustling as softly as cypress leaves. The name sprouted in medieval England, first identifying the man who guarded the king’s woods and, in a gentler branch of its family tree, the caregiver who “fostered” another’s child. Strength and nurture thus twine together like strands of al dente tagliatelle. Crossing the Atlantic with early settlers, Foster has hummed along the lower reaches of the U.S. charts since the 1880s, content to be a quiet classic hovering around the 700th rank in recent years. Pop culture adds a dash of seasoning: David Foster’s sweeping ballads, Jodie Foster’s sharp intellect, even the amber fizz of an eponymous Australian lager. Together they prove that the name ages as gracefully as a well-cellared Barolo. Parents who choose Foster tend to want both sturdy oak and open arms—a name that guards and gives in equal measure. In short, he is a warm custodian ready to guide a child down sun-dappled paths toward a horizon lined with possibility and the faint aroma of espresso.