The Spanish surname of BASTIANI was a baptismal name 'the son of Sebastian'. The name was originally rendered in the Latin form Sebastianus, originally an ethnic name meaning 'man from Sebastia' a city in Pontus named from the Greek Sebastos (revered). In the 8th century, Spain fell under the control of the Moors, and this influence, which lasted into the 12th century, has also left its mark on Hispanic surnames. A few names are based directly on Arabic personal names. The majority of Spanish occupational and nickname surnames, however, are based on ordinary Spanish derivatives. The name was borne by a 3rd century martyr who became the patron saint of Nuremberg, hence the popularity of the name in Germany. The name was in early use in Cornwall and south-west England, where Spanish influence would have prevailed. Early records of the name mention William, son of Bastian Trevithan, who was baptised at St. Columb Major, Cornwall in the year 1599. William Bastian, registered at Oxford University in the year 1796. Bastien Chevrey married Joanna Gale at St. George's, Hanover Square, London in the year 1796. The small villages of Europe, or royal and noble households, even large religious dwellings and monasteries, gave rise to many family names, which reflected the occupation or profession of the original bearer of the name. Following the Crusades in Europe in the 11th 12th and 13th centuries a need was felt for an additional name. This was recognized by those of gentle birth, who realised that it added prestige and practical advantage to their status. At first the coat of arms was a practical matter which served a function on the battlefield and in tournaments. With his helmet covering his face, and armour encasing the knight from head to foot, the only means of identification for his followers, was the insignia painted on his shield, and embroidered on his surcoat, the draped and flowing garment worn over the armour. Over the centuries, most people in Europe have accepted their surname as a fact of life, as irrevocable as an act of God. However much the individual may have liked or disliked the surname, they were stuck with it, and people rarely changed them by personal choice. A more common form of variation was in fact involuntary, when an official change was made, in other words, a clerical error. |
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