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Updated June 9, 2019

Family name origins & meanings

  • Spanish (of Basque origin) : topographic name from Basque baso ‘wood’, ‘forest’.
  • Catalan : variant spelling of Bassa, a topographic name from Catalan bassa ‘pool’, ‘pond’.
  • Hungarian : from the old secular personal name Basa, or from Bazsa, a pet form of the ecclesiastical name Bazsil, from Greek Basileios (see Basil). In some cases the Hungarian family name could be a derivative of the Turkish başa (see Basha), probably as a nickname for a self-important person or someone who had dealings with the Turkish authorities or occupying forces.
  • Polish : metonymic occupational name for a musician, from basa, dialect form of basy ‘musical instrument’.
  • Balkan (Muslim) : variant of Turkish Pasha.

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