2000
#1,636
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,032
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.43
Uncommon Last name
Bassett
An English locational surname derived from places meaning "Bassa's gate", likely referring to a gate or gap in a hedge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 22,584 Americans carry the last name Bassett. That puts it at #1,782 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,177 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bassett surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bassett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
23K
1 in 15,177
Census rank
#1,782
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
20K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,694 bearers of the surname Bassett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1782nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bassett, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bassett
The surname Bassett originated in Normandy, France, in the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "bass," meaning "low" or "short," and the diminutive suffix "-et," implying "little." This suggests the name was initially given as a nickname to someone of short stature.
The name is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this record, several individuals bearing the name Bassett are listed as landowners in various counties of England, indicating that they were among the Norman nobility who accompanied William during the conquest of England in 1066.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Ralph Bassett, who lived in the 11th century and held lands in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Another notable figure was Philip Bassett, a 12th-century nobleman who served as Lord of Weldon and Sheriff of Northamptonshire.
In the 13th century, the Bassett family established themselves as prominent landowners in Devon, where they constructed the imposing Umberleigh Castle. Sir William Bassett (c. 1252-1305) was a respected knight and member of Parliament during the reign of Edward I.
During the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century, John Bassett (c. 1430-1486) fought for the Yorkist cause and was knighted by Edward IV for his loyalty and bravery. His descendant, Arthur Bassett (1541-1586), served as a Member of Parliament and was involved in the colonization of Newfoundland.
In the 17th century, William Bassett (1597-1667) was a prominent Puritan and one of the founders of the New Haven Colony in Connecticut, United States. His grandson, John Bassett (1671-1733), was a successful merchant and served as Deputy Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island.
Other notable individuals with the surname Bassett include Richard Bassett (1735-1815), a signer of the United States Constitution, and Fletcher Bassett (1844-1927), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bassett
Among Census respondents with the surname Bassett, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bassett bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bassett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 16,127
- Black or African American9.4% · 1,849
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 752
- Two or more races3.6% · 701
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 142
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 123
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bassett
Bassett appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,750
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,482
+450 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 6.94
Rank movement Down 114 places
2020
#1,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,694
-788 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 6.59
Rank movement Down 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,636 | 20,032 | 7.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,750 | 20,482 | 6.94 | +450 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 114 places |
| 2020 | #1,782 | 19,694 | 6.59 | -788 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 32 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bassett surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,750 | #1,782 | -1.8% |
| Count | 20,482 | 19,694 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 6.94 | 6.59 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bassett bearers went from 20,482 to 19,694 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,750 to #1,782.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bassett
FAQ
Bassett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bassett?
Name Census estimates that about 22,584 living Americans carry the surname Bassett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,177 residents.
How common is Bassett?
Bassett ranks #1,782 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,694 people with the surname Bassett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (22,584), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Bassett.
Has Bassett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bassett went from 20,482 recorded bearers to 19,694. That is a decrease of 788 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,750 to #1,782.
What does the Census say about the background of Bassett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bassett, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bassett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (16,127 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bassett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Black (9.4%), Hispanic (3.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bassett (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bassett mean?
An English locational surname derived from places meaning "Bassa's gate", likely referring to a gate or gap in a hedge. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bassett (6.59 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Bassett?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.