2000
#22,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,098
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.41
Rare Last name
Busey
An occupational surname derived from the Old French word "buisier", meaning woodworker or carpenter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,134 Americans carry the last name Busey. That puts it at #26,042 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 302,253 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Busey 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.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 302,253
Census rank
#26,042
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
989
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 989 bearers of the surname Busey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26042nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Busey, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Busey
The surname Busey originated in England, with records dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bury," which refers to a fortified town or dwelling. The name may have been given to someone who lived near a prominent bury or one who worked as a guardian or keeper of a bury.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from 1199, where a Richard de Bures is mentioned. This spelling variation suggests a connection to the town of Bures in Suffolk, which further reinforces the name's association with a place of residence.
In the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a William de Bures is recorded as holding lands in Hertfordshire. This record provides evidence of the surname's usage and establishment during the medieval period.
The Busey surname has also been linked to the village of Bushey in Hertfordshire, which was once spelled as "Bußey" or "Busshy." This connection suggests that the name may have originated from a person who hailed from or was associated with this particular location.
Notable individuals with the surname Busey include Sir John Busby (1765-1857), a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament. Another prominent figure was William Henry Busey (1826-1898), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative from Illinois.
In the realm of literature, the American author and poet John Busby (1918-1989) gained recognition for his works, including the novel "House of Fury" and the poetry collection "The Summon."
The Busey name can also be found in the arts, with Gary Busey (born 1944) being a notable American actor known for his roles in films such as "The Buddy Holly Story," "Lethal Weapon," and "Point Break."
Additionally, the American baseball player Gus Busey (1888-1953) played in the Major Leagues from 1911 to 1924, primarily for the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Busey
Among Census respondents with the surname Busey, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Busey 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 Busey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.7% · 788
- Black or African American11.3% · 112
- Two or more races4.1% · 41
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 37
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Busey
Busey 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
#22,749
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,126
+28 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Down 738 places
2020
#26,042
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 989
-137 bearers (-12.2%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 3,293 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,011 | 1,098 | 0.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,749 | 1,126 | 0.38 | +28 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 738 places |
| 2020 | #26,042 | 989 | 0.33 | -137 bearers (-12.2%) | Down 3,293 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 Busey 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 | #22,749 | #26,042 | -14.5% |
| Count | 1,126 | 989 | -12.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.38 | 0.33 | -12.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Busey bearers went from 1,126 to 989 (-12.2% change). The surname moved down 3,293 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,749 to #26,042.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Busey
FAQ
Busey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Busey?
Name Census estimates that about 1,134 living Americans carry the surname Busey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 302,253 residents.
How common is Busey?
Busey ranks #26,042 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 989 people with the surname Busey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Busey.
Has Busey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Busey went from 1,126 recorded bearers to 989. That is a decrease of 137 (-12.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #22,749 to #26,042.
What does the Census say about the background of Busey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Busey, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Busey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.7% (788 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Busey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.7%), Black (11.3%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Busey (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 Busey mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Old French word "buisier", meaning woodworker or carpenter. 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 Busey (0.33 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 Busey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.