Find out how popular the last name Basa is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Basa.

Basa, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Basa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Basa in America

Basa is the 20299th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Basa surname appeared 1,310 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Basa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Basa to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Basa

The surname BASA has its origins in the Spanish and Portuguese regions of the Iberian Peninsula, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word 'bassus,' meaning 'short' or 'low,' which may have been used to describe a person's physical stature or geographical location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BASA can be found in the 13th-century Catalan manuscripts, where it was often associated with place names like Basa del Valles in the region of Catalonia. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a locative surname, indicating a person's place of origin or residence.

In Portugal, the name BASA has been traced back to the 15th century, with records showing individuals bearing this surname in the northern region of Minho. It is possible that the name may have been influenced by the Portuguese word 'basa,' meaning 'base' or 'foundation,' perhaps referring to a person's occupation or physical characteristics.

Among the notable figures throughout history who carried the surname BASA, one can mention Pedro de Basa (c. 1470-1542), a Spanish explorer and navigator who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous circumnavigation voyage. Another prominent figure was Joao de Basa (c. 1530-1601), a Portuguese architect and military engineer who played a significant role in the construction of fortifications in the Algarve region.

In the 17th century, the name BASA appeared in historical records in Spain, with Juan de Basa (c. 1620-1689) being a renowned painter and engraver from Madrid. His works were often commissioned by the Spanish monarchy and can be found in various churches and museums across the country.

Moving into the 18th century, one cannot overlook the contributions of Gaspar de Basa y Mendoza (1703-1778), a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Panama and later as the Viceroy of New Granada (present-day Colombia and Ecuador).

As the name BASA spread across different regions, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Bassa, Baza, and Baza, reflecting local linguistic and cultural influences.

It is worth noting that while the surname BASA has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, it has since been adopted and carried by individuals of diverse backgrounds and nationalities, reflecting the global migration patterns and cultural exchanges that have occurred over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Basa

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Basa.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Basa was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Basa has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Basa was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Basa, please contact us.

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