Beasant
Beasant is an Anglo-Saxon surname derived from a coin called the byzantius which is named after the city of Byzantium where they were first minted[1] Because of the circular nature of the coins the word byzantius, as it travelled across Europe, came to mean the 'circle or disk' represented on a coat of arms (in old French).[citation needed]
The word byzantius then travelled as a surname to England with William the Conqueror in 1066. The Beasants were gardeners in the king's court.
Notable people in the Beasant family
- Dave Beasant, English football goalkeeper.
- Annie Besant, prominent Theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator.
References
See also
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