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| Origins Available: |
| | Germany |
The Basstheim surname first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria, some time after the 12th century, when hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules, and names that were derived from locations became particularly common. The family name Basstheim is a local surname. Originally denoting the proprietorship of an estate or influence within a village, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Basstheim was given to someone who lived in Bavaria, where the Basstheim family were powerful and prestigious landholders. In the Middle Ages, when Bavaria was an area characterized by feudalism, knighthood, and heroic battles, the Basstheim family owned territories and enjoyed the splendors of the feudal courts. Moreover, they played an instrumental role in the development of Bavarian political and economic affairs.
The surname Basstheim was first found in Bavaria, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Basstheim research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1212, 1226, 1774 and 1816 are included under the topic Early Basstheim History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Basstheim include Bastheim, Basteheim, Bastheime, Basttheim, Basstheim and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Basstheim Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So 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 settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were: settlers who for a variety of reasons decided to travel to the New World and landed on the eastern coast of the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries..