Masse Surname Meaning & Coat of Arms

Masse is best understood together with Massa: both are Italian spellings of a single family name. It is a place-based name: “From Massa, a place name ("estate, farmstead")”.

How the spelling arose

The change of ending between Massa and Masse reflects the Italian habit of naming a family in the plural or the singular. Spellings drifted because names were written down by ear in parish books, tax rolls and passenger lists. The same family of names includes Massari and Massetti.

Heraldry and the Masse name

Looking for a Masse coat of arms? Arms were granted to families, not to surnames, and our research shows which heraldic tradition fits yours.

Research your Masse family history with a full surname report and painted coat of arms.