Show ContentsBasinges History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Basinges family

The surname Basinges was first found in Hampshire at Basing or Old Basing as it is sometimes known. This village and parish is in the union and hundred of Basingstoke. The first listing of this Saxon place name was found in 871 when it was listed as Basengum. An Anglo-Saxon tribe was known as the Basingas and some believe that is the true source of the village name as literally the place name means "settlement of the followers of a man called Basa." 1

"This place is remarkable for having been the scene of the defeat of King Ethelred I by the Danes, in 871." 2 The Battle of Basing was on the 22nd of January in 871. "

At the period of the Norman survey, Hugh de Port held fifty-five lordships in the county, of which Basing was the head" 2 Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands who was recorded in the Domesday Book. Salomon de Basing was Lord Mayor of London in 1217 and years later, Adam de Basing was similarly Lord Mayor of London in 1251.

John Basing or Basingstoke (d. 1252), Archdeacon of Leicester, takes his name from the town of Basingstoke in Hampshire. "He seems to have been one of the earliest Englishmen who possessed a real knowledge of Greek, and was probably one of the first natives of our islands - if we except the doubtful instance of Johannes Scotus Erigena - who perfected himself in this language by a sojourn at Athens. " 3

Early History of the Basinges family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Basinges research. Another 143 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1214, 1306, 1510, 1558 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Basinges History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Basinges Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Basing, Basings, Bainges and others.

Early Notables of the Basinges family

More information is included under the topic Early Basinges Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Basinges family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Basinges name or one of its variants: Samuel Baysinger, aged 45, who arrived at Ellis Island from Batton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1912; Emma Basinger, aged 52, who arrived at Ellis Island, in 1914.



  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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