Beasant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Beasant

What does the name Beasant mean?

The name Beasant is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name was taken on by someone who worked as a coiner or minter. The name is derived from a coin called the byzantius, whose name is derived from the city of Byzantium, where they were minted. The word is derived from the "Middle English besant, besand, the Old French besan, pluralized as besanz, which in turn was derived from the Latin byzantius (nummus), meaning a gold coin." 1

"A bisaunt, bezant, or bizantine was an old coin both in gold and silver, and so called from having been minted at Byzantium. The silver bezant passed current for as. or thereabouts." 2

Early Origins of the Beasant family

The surname Beasant was first found in London, England where Leftwin Besant was recorded 1147-1168. He was listed as a "moneyer" in the Pipe Rolls of 1168. Later, Robert Besant was listed in Clerkenwell, London in 1186-1192 and the Pipe Rolls of 1195. 1

Early History of the Beasant family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beasant research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1168, 1194, 1748, 1752, 1776, 1800, 1828, 1836, 1870, 1879, 1901 and 1917 are included under the topic Early Beasant History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beasant Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Beasant include Besant, Besaynt, Bezant, Bessant, Besand, Beasant, Bessent, Beazant, Bayzand, Beszant, Bassant, Bassent and many more.

Early Notables of the Beasant family

Robert Besant, Sheriff of London in 1194. 2 Sir Walter Besant (1836-1901), was a distinguished English novelist and historian. He was the son of wine merchant William Besant (1800-1879) and was born at Portsmouth, Hampshire. William Henry Besant (1828-1917) was his...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beasant Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beasant migration to Australia +

Beasant Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Phoebe Beasant, (b. 1822), aged 19, British laundress who was convicted in Wiltshire, England for 7 years for stealing clothes, transported aboard the "Garland Grove" on 14th June 1841, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Beasant (post 1700) +

Samuel James Beasant (b. 1988), English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Hanwell Town
David John Beasant (b. 1959), English football coach and former goalkeeper

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au