I am not sure of my surname's origin, but I understand that Pesta might have had letters removed from the original longer spelling to make a shorter surname. My family and I live in Scranton, Pa. I am originally from Old Forge, PA. I have cousins somewhere in Ohio. My grandfather's wife's maiden name was Frances Styjk. My grandfather's name was Josef Pesta. He is supposedly from Kvastov, Bohemia and came to Ellis Island in 1912.