German (mainly Münster) and Dutch (also Van Munster): habitational name from any of the places called Münster (in Germany) or Munster derived from Latin monasterium 'monastery' or a topographic name for someone living near a monastery. Irish: variant (translation into English) of Moynihan .

Münster is well-known as Germany's bicycle capital – statistically speaking, there are two bicycles to every inhabitant! The historic city centre, Lake Aa and the moated castles in the region have made Münster very popular among residents and students alike.

However, the city officially came into existence in 793, when Frisian missionary Liudger founded the “Monasterium” cloister. Münster became a cathedral city as early as 805, and the city remains an active centre of the Roman-Catholic church.

The Münster Rebellion occurred in 1534-1535 in Münster, Germany when radical Anabaptists seized control of the city, aiming to establish a communal sectarian government. Their reign saw the implementation of radical reforms, which included property confiscation and polygamy.