Bastien History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

Early Origins of the Bastien family

The surname Bastien was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of St Columb Major who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Sebastian is a masculine given name that is derived from the Latin name Sebastianus meaning "from Sebastia" and is also a surname derived from Saint Sebastian (died c. 288), an early Christian saint and martyr.

Early History of the Bastien family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bastien research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1510, 1535 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Bastien History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bastien Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Bastien family name include Bastian, Basten, Bastin, Bastien, Bastion, Baston and many more.

Early Notables of the Bastien family

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

Bastien World Ranking

In the United States, the name Bastien is the 15,589^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Bastien is ranked the 692^nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,579 people with that name. 3 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Bastien is the 313^rd popular surname. 4 France ranks Bastien as 593^rd with 7,910 people. 5

Bastien migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Bastien family to immigrate North America:

Bastien Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jean Bastien, who arrived in New York in 1836
Emile Bastien, who, at the age of 30 settled in New Orleans in 1850
Emile Bastien, aged 30, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1850 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Bastien (post 1700) +

Steve Bastien (b. 1994), American decathlete
Rolland "Red" Bastien (1931-2012), American professional wrestler, three-time WWWF United States Tag Team Champion
Steve Bastien (b. 1963), English cricketer
Jean Bastien Thiry (1927-1963), French engineer who tried to assassinate de Gaulle, creator of the Nord SS.10/SS.11 missile
Jean Bastien (1915-1969), French football midfielder
Fanny Bastien (b. 1961), French actress
Cléophas Bastien (1892-1943), Canadian provincial politician, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec for Berthier (1927-1943)
Benoît Bastien (b. 1983), French football referee
Joseph Aldège Albert "Baz" Bastien (1919-1983), Canadian ice hockey goaltender and coach
Alfred Théodore Joseph Bastien (1873-1955), Belgian artist, academic and soldier
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)