Basham
An English surname usually taken from the place name Barsham in Norfolk, with local pronunciation smoothing it into Basham.
The #4,036 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 35,061 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Basham is generally explained as a locational surname from Barsham, a parish name in Norfolk. The place-name is usually taken to come from Old English elements meaning 'Bær’s homestead' or 'Beorn's homestead,' though the exact personal name behind it is not always certain in older scholarship. The surname reflects local speech in which Barsham was pronounced more like Basham.
History
The name is especially associated with Norfolk, where it appears as an early surname in medieval records. Later writers also note Basham as a surname in other English counties, but the Norfolk place-name remains the standard explanation. In some cases the surname may also reflect spelling variation from the same local pronunciation rather than a separate origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname guides explicitly remark that Basham is the common pronunciation of Barsham.
From the historical record
“Basey. See Beazer Bashall. A loc. n., Yorks Basham. From Barsham ; a loc. n., Norf. Bashford. From Bassford ; a loc. n., Staffs.”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)