Show ContentsBasson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Basson was most likely taken on by someone who was a person of small stature having derived from the Old English word bas, meaning short. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the French word bas which has the same meaning. [1]

Early Origins of the Basson family

The surname Basson was first found in Leicestershire where "Bass is a Leicestershire name. Basse occurred in Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire in the 13th century. Edward Bashe held the manor of Botelers in Prittlewell parish, Essex, in the reign of Elizabeth." [2]

Further north in Scotland, ancient records there found the name in Aberbuthenoth where "Andrew de Bas who was one of the jurors in a dispute regarding the Kirketun of Aberbuthenoth" in 1206. Apparently, he derived his name from Bass in Aberdeenshire. [3] Bass Isle is found in the parish of North Berwick, county of Haddington. [4]

Early History of the Basson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Basson research. Another 37 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1583, 1653, 1698, 1699 and 1725 are included under the topic Early Basson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Basson Spelling Variations

Huguenot surnames were only slightly Anglicized, and they remain to this day a distinct group of surnames in England. Nevertheless, Huguenot surnames have been subject to numerous spelling alterations since the names emerged in France. French surnames have a variety of spelling variations because the French language has changed drastically over the centuries. French was developed from the vernacular Latin of the Roman Empire. It is divided into three historic and linguistic periods: Old French, which developed before the 14th century; Middle French, which was used between the 14th and 16th centuries; and Modern French, which was used after the 16th century and continues to be in use today. In all of these periods, the French language was heavily influenced by other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when the barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heaviliy from the Italian language during the Renaissance. Huguenot names have numerous variations. The name may be spelled Bass, Bassin, Bassen and others.

Early Notables of the Basson family

Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Basson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Basson Ranking

In South Africa, the name Basson is the 266th most popular surname with an estimated 25,793 people with that name. [5]


New Zealand Basson migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Basson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Basson, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Bosworth" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 24th November 1857 [6]
  • Mrs. Basson, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Bosworth" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 24th November 1857 [6]
  • Child Basson, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Bosworth" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 24th November 1857 [6]

Contemporary Notables of the name Basson (post 1700) +

  • Christiaan Basson (b. 1982), South African professional golfer
  • Jean Basson (b. 1987), South African silver and two-time bronze medalist swimmer
  • Bjorn Alberic Basson (b. 1987), South African professional rugby union player


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  3. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  4. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  5. "Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
  6. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook