Beazer

Recorded in many forms including Baser, Bazire, Bazier, Beasor, Beazar, Beazer, Besor, Boser, Bosier and many others, this is a surname of French origins. It is said to be from the Provence region, and to have been introduced into England in the 17th Century. If so this was during the time of the great influx into the country of Huguenot Protestant refugees escaping religious persecution in France. The surname in its original French forms as Bazire or Baziere is a form of the personal name Basil, a popular medieval given name from which were generated the many surnames, some of which are shown above. Basil derives ultimately from the Greek word "basileios", meaning royal, and was the name borne by a 4th Century bishop Basilios regarded as one of the fathers of the Eastern Church. Its real medieval popularity however stems from the famous Crusader Knights of the 12th century being one of the names brought back by them from the Holy Land. Examples of recordings in England include Edward Beazer christened at St Giles Cripplegate in the city of London, on July 29th 1660, and Adrien Bazire who married Marie Laconte at St. James church, Dukes Place, Westminster, on September 1st 1683. It is unclear when the surname was first recorded in England but a John Beasor married Elizabeth Coopper at St Margarets Westminster on May 15th 1625, however it is likely that earlier recordings exist, perhaps in as yet unpublished records and charters. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.