Bass Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Bass last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Bass coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Bass last name
Meaning of the Bass last name: short, low. Bass was a nickname for a short man, from the medieval word bass, "low", from the French bas. The name is common in the Midlands and East Anglia. A curious detail: the Bass brewery at Burton upon Trent made the name famous, and its red triangle was among the first trademarks ever registered in Britain. In America the name also absorbed the German Bass and the Dutch Baas.
Arms associated with the Bass name
In English heraldry, arms belonged to one person at a time and passed down to the eldest son, so different Bass lines used their own versions.
Get your full Bass family history
This is only a glimpse of the Bass story. The full Bass history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Bass coat of arms. Get the full Bass report.
Bass name FAQ
What does the Bass name mean?
Short, low. Common variants include Basse, Base, Baas.
Where does the Bass surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and the Netherlands.
Is there a Bass coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Bass coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.