Show ContentsBassi History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

From the ancient and picturesque Italian region of Venice emerged a variety of distinguished names, including the notable surname Bassi. Although people were originally known only by a single name, it became necessary for people to adopt a second name to identify themselves as populations grew and travel became more frequent. The process of adopting fixed hereditary surnames was not complete until the modern era, but the use of hereditary family names in Italy began in the 10th and 11th centuries. Italian hereditary surnames were developed according to fairly general principles and they are characterized by a profusion of derivatives coined from given names. Although the most traditional type of family name found in the region of Venice is the patronymic surname, which is derived from the father's given name, local surnames are also found. Local names, which are the least frequent of the major types of surnames found in Italy, are derived from a place-name where the original bearer once resided or held land. Often Italian local surnames bore the prefix "di," which signifies emigration from one place to another, but does not necessarily denote nobility. The Bassi family lived in Verona in 1279, when Daniele Basso was councilor of this city.

Early Origins of the Bassi family

The surname Bassi was first found in Verona in 1279, when Daniele Basso was councillor of this city.

Early History of the Bassi family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bassi research. The years 1669, 1717, 1766, 1784 and 1825 are included under the topic Early Bassi History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bassi Spelling Variations

Italian surnames come in far more variations than the names of most other nationalities. Regional traditions and dialects are a decisive factor in this characteristic. For example, northern names tend to end in "o", while southern in "i". Also important, but not unique to Italy, was the fact that before dictionaries and the printing press most scribes simply spelled words according to their sounds. The predictable result was an enormous number of spelling variations. The recorded spellings of Bassi include Bassa, Basso, Bassi, Bassoli, Basta, Bassolino and many more.

Early Notables of the Bassi family

Prominent among members of the family was

  • Giovanni Bassignani (1669-1717), an Italian architect and engineer of the late-Baroque
  • Luigi Bassi, born at Pesaro 1766, died at Dresden 1825. An eminent baritone singer, first appeared on the stage in women's parts at the age of thirteen; a pupil of Laschi at Florence. In 1784 he went...


United States Bassi migration to the United States +

Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Bassi or a variant listed above:

Bassi Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Anna Masse Bassi, aged 44, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 1
Bassi Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Andrea Bassi, aged 40, German settler who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "La Bourgogne" 2
  • Mr. Cesare Bassi, aged 18, German settler who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "La Bourgogne" 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Bassi (post 1700) +

  • Suzanne Bassi (b. 1945), U.S. politician
  • Giorgio Bassi (b. 1934), Italian race car driver
  • Giovanna Bassi (1762-1834), Italian ballerina
  • Agostino Bassi (1773-1856), Italian entomologist
  • Luigi Bassi (1766-1825), Italian operatic baritone
  • Laura Bassi (1711-1778), Italian scientist
  • Francesco Bassi (1642-1732), Italian painter
  • Bartolomeo Bassi (1600-1640), Italian painter
  • Martino Bassi (1542-1591), Italian architect
  • Agostino Maria Bassi (1773-1856), Italian biologist and bacteriologist
  • ... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  2. Germans to America retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from Glazier, Ira. A., and Filby, P. William. Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports. Vol. 62, Scholarly Resources Inc, 2111
  3. Germans to America retrieved 21st October 2021. Retrieved from Glazier, Ira. A., and Filby, P. William. Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports. Vol. 62, Scholarly Resources Inc, 2112


Houseofnames.com on Facebook