Show ContentsBassham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Bassham has a long Anglo-Saxon heritage. The name comes from when a family lived in or around either of the settlements called Barsham in Norfolk and Suffolk.

Early Origins of the Bassham family

The surname Bassham was first found in Norfolk, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Bassham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bassham research. Another 213 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1198, 1367, 1400, 1500, 1804 and 1843 are included under the topic Early Bassham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bassham Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Bassham have been found, including Basham, Bosham, Barsham, Bassham, Bashan, Bashum and many more.

Early Notables of the Bassham family

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

Bassham Ranking

In the United States, the name Bassham is the 16,643rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


Bassham migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Bassham, or a variant listed above:

Bassham Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Charles N Bassham, aged 29, destined for Brooklyn, N.Y., arrived in New York in 1918 aboard the ship "Philadelphia" from Liverpool, England 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Bassham (post 1700) +

  • Lanny Bassham (b. 1947), American gold medalist sports shooter at the 1976 Summer Olympics, and silver medalist at the 1972 Summer Olympics
  • James Bassham (1922-2012), American scientist, known for his work on photosynthesis
  • Alan Bassham (1933-1982), English football right back who played in the Football League for Brentford (1953-1958)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


Houseofnames.com on Facebook