Türkiye Soyadları A sourced dictionary of Turkish surnames

SURNAMEEntry 867

Başsan

Başsan /baʃˈsan/ ASCII Bassan

“foremost in renown”1

Probable origin Başsan: root entries for baş + san · How do we know?

Published: Last updated:

Letters / syllables
6 / 2
Formation
1934 coinage
Vowel harmony
back
Initial
B
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How do you pronounce Başsan?

Başsan

IPA /baʃˈsan/

The stress usually falls on syllable 2 (marked). In everyday Turkish, stress in surnames varies by speaker and region.

What does the surname Başsan mean?

Baş, “head, foremost”, joins san, “reputation, title”: “foremost in renown”. San derives from the Proto-Turkic root *sā-, “to count”, and is related to saymak, “to count, to respect”, and sanmak, “to suppose”; it is not the Arabic-derived şan.1,2

Grammar Compound: baş + san.

That Başsan goes back to baş and san is probable rather than proven: the dictionaries cited agree on it.

What is Başsan made of?

Başsan is Turkic in origin and breaks into 2 parts: baş (head; chief) + san (fame, reputation; title).

Başsan + root baş head; chief TURKIC baş “head; leader” root san fame, reputation; title TURKIC san “reputation; title, name” Başsan baş root head; chief baş TURKIC “head; leader” san root fame, reputation; title san TURKIC “reputation; title, name”
Başsan: parts and root words
  • baş Turkic — head; leader1
  • san Turkic — reputation; title, name2

How was the name Başsan formed?

Başsan is a name newly coined from baş (“head; chief”) and san (“fame, reputation; title”) in the years of the surname law.

Shared note · 1934Surnames became compulsory with Surname Law No. 2525 of 21 June 1934.5

Which surnames are related to Başsan?

Başsan Akbaş Baş Subaşı Başer Kocabaş Erbaş
Circle area shows the number of bearers; dashed circle: no national count published. Solid line: same root; dashed line: same affix.
#SurnameRelationRankPeople
01 Akbaş same root – –
02 Baş same root – –
03 Subaşı same root – –
04 Başer same root – –
05 Kocabaş same root – –
06 Erbaş same root – –
07 Baştürk same root – –
08 Demirbaş same root – –
09 Başkan same root – –
10 Ersan same root – –
11 Aksan same root – –
12 Başoğlu same root – –

How is Başsan written and pronounced abroad?

Outside Turkey Başsan is usually written Bassan.

Which surnames have a meaning similar to Başsan?

Başol, Özbaş and Başman share gloss keywords with Başsan within the same primary category.

Which guides add context to Başsan?

Read the root, formation and register information for Başsan alongside these guides: How Turkish Surnames Are Formed: Roots and Suffixes and How to Pronounce and Spell Turkish Surnames.

Where do these facts come from?

  1. 1 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: baş accessed 8 November 2026
  2. 2 Sevan Nişanyan Nişanyan Sözlük: san accessed 8 November 2026
  3. 3 Wikimedia Wiktionary: san accessed 8 November 2026
  4. 4 Wikimedia Vikisözlük: san accessed 9 November 2026
  5. 5 T.C. Resmî Gazete / Mevzuat Bilgi Sistemi (mevzuat.gov.tr) Soyadı Kanunu (Kanun No. 2525) accessed 8 November 2026

Common questions about Başsan

Q1

What does the surname Başsan mean?

Baş, “head, foremost”, joins san, “reputation, title”: “foremost in renown”. San derives from the Proto-Turkic root *sā-, “to count”, and is related to saymak, “to count, to respect”, and sanmak, “to suppose”; it is not the Arabic-derived şan.
Q2

What is the origin of the surname Başsan?

Başsan is made up of two elements: baş “head; leader” (Turkic) and san “reputation; title, name” (Turkic).
Q3

How do you pronounce Başsan?

Baş·san, 2 syllables; IPA: /baʃˈsan/.