Astor

Astor is a surname of German origin best known for the Astor family, a prominent American lineage that rose to wealth in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The family’s fortunes began with John Jacob Astor (1763–1848), who emigrated to the United States and built a vast fortune in the fur trade, founding the American Fur Company in 1808 and expanding into Manhattan real estate. His descendants continued to wield significant influence in business, society, and philanthropy, with later generations broadening interests across finance, real estate, and culture.

The Astors left a lasting mark on New York through institutions and landmarks named after them. The Astor Library, established by John Jacob Astor in 1849, later became part of the New York Public Library when it merged in 1895 with the Lenox Library and the Tilden Trust to form the NYPL system; the central building opened in 1911. The family also influenced urban development and public life, with streets and neighborhoods such as Astor Place and Astor Row in Harlem bearing their name. The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, opened in the late 19th century as a joint project by William Waldorf Astor and his cousin John Jacob Astor IV, became a celebrated New York landmark. The Astor House, another famed hotel, operated in Lower Manhattan from the 1830s into the mid-20th century.

In contemporary terms, Astor persists as a surname and in the names of places and institutions, reflecting the historical impact of the Astor family on American commerce, urban development, and philanthropy.