Sassaman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

Nestled between the Rhine and Wesser rivers is the ancient German region of Westphalia. Westphalia, the home of the name Sassaman. Hereditary surnames were adopted in this region after the 12th century, and surnames were derived from localities were common. Local surnames originally denoted the proprietorship of the village or estate. When coupled with the German preposition von, which means from or of, local names can indicate that the initial bearer of the name was an aristocrat. The Sassaman family originally lived in Saxony. The original bearer of the name Sassaman was a person that was born or that had lived in the region of Lower (northern) Saxony, which is essentially the modern German state named Saxony. This name would have been given to the original bearer of the name after they had migrated from Lower Saxony to another region of Germany, namely Westphalia. The Saxons, who were a Germanic tribe, dwelled in northern Germany and along the Baltic coast during the Roman era. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Saxons migrated south and west. By the 5th century, the Saxon and Angle tribes held most of England. The Saxon language became one of the precursors of the English language.

Early Origins of the Sassaman family

The surname Sassaman was first found in Westphalia, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation.

Early History of the Sassaman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sassaman research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1779 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Sassaman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sassaman Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Sassaman include Sasse, Sass, Sasser, Sase, Saser, Sassen, Sasen, Zasse, Zasser and many more.

Early Notables of the Sassaman family

Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sassaman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sassaman family

Many Germans emigrated across the Atlantic to seek better lives in North America. This great migration began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century. Resettlement was particularly attractive to those from Westphalia as a means of escape from poverty and religious persecution. For many Westphalian farmers, the chance to own one's own land was also a major incentive. The process of the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlements centered around Ontario and the Prairie provinces. Among them were: Heinrich Sasse and Erdmann Sasse, both of whom came to Canada with the Empire loyalists in 1783. Johann Sass arrived in Texas in 1855; as did August Sasse, Dorethea Sasse, and Heinrich Sasse..

Contemporary Notables of the name Sassaman (post 1700) +

Nathan Sassaman (b. 1963), United States Army retired officer and co-author of Warrior King in 2008 about his experiences in the Iraq War