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English and northern Irish: nickname from Middle English best(e) (Old English betst) ‘best finest (person)’. English northern Irish and French: nickname from Middle English best(e) Old French beste ‘beast animal’ (especially those used for food or work) applied either as a metonymic occupational name for someone who looked after beasts such as a herdsman or as a nickname for someone thought to resemble an animal. Compare English Bester English: from a Middle English adverbial expression of the Best but the meaning is unknown. German: from a short form of the personal name Sebastian . Dutch (also De Best): nickname for ‘the best’ as a superlative for good prime senior or possibly indicating a family relationship (someone from a senior generation).
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022