An English surname, Halstead is an origin Anglo-Saxon name. The Old English terms ‘heald’ and ‘stede’ refer to a place of shelter or safe haven. The variation in spelling Halstead is Halsted. The early Halstead families lived in the Leicestershire, Kent and Essex counties of England. By the 20th century many more lived in Yorkshire and Lancashire counties. In Scotland the county of Lanarkshire has the greater Halstead population. The earliest Halstead families settled in New York, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The northeastern portion of the United States today is where many with the Halstead name live. Famous: Neil Halstead (acclaimed English songwriter), Dirck Halstead (award winning photographer) and Rosalind Halstead (English model, actress and dancer).