★ Be on time for a wonderful present this year · Order by Dec 8 (US) · Dec 9 (UK & AU) · All dates ›

Bassett Surname Meaning & Origin

What the Bassett last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.

Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Bassett coat of arms for you.

Meaning and origin of the Bassett last name

Meaning of the Bassett last name: short, of low stature. Bassett is an English surname of Norman origin, from Old French basset, "of low stature", a nickname for a short man. A Norman family of this last name held land in Oxfordshire and Staffordshire from the twelfth century. The same word later gave its name to the basset hound, a short-legged dog.

Arms associated with the Bassett name

Coats of arms associated with the Bassett surname follow English heraldry, each set out in a short blazon.

Get your full Bassett family history

This is only a glimpse of the Bassett story. The full Bassett 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 Bassett coat of arms. Get the full Bassett report.

Bassett name FAQ

What does the Bassett name mean?

short, of low stature. Common variants include Basset, Bassette.

Where does the Bassett surname come from?

It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.

Is there a Bassett coat of arms?

Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Bassett coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.

Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).