2000
#102,691
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 162
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Basantes
An occupational surname derived from the Spanish word "basto" meaning a saddle maker or leather worker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 228 Americans carry the last name Basantes. That puts it at #97,730 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,503,309 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Basantes 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
228
1 in 1,503,309
Census rank
#97,730
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
199
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 199 bearers of the surname Basantes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 97730th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Basantes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Basantes
The surname Basantes has its origins in Ecuador, South America, dating back to the colonial era. It is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "basante," which means "sufficient" or "adequate." The name may have been initially given to someone who lived a modest or sufficient lifestyle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Basantes surname can be found in the 18th century, when it appeared in records of the Spanish colonial administration in the region of Quito, Ecuador. During this period, the name was sometimes spelled as "Bassantes" or "Basantez."
In the 19th century, the Basantes name gained prominence in the Ecuadorian city of Cuenca, where several members of the family held influential positions in local government and society. One notable figure was José Basantes (1802-1878), a lawyer and politician who served as the mayor of Cuenca from 1848 to 1851.
Another significant historical figure with the Basantes surname was Manuel Basantes (1856-1912), an Ecuadorian writer and journalist who was a prominent figure in the country's literary circles. He was known for his contributions to the development of Ecuadorian literature and his advocacy for social and political reforms.
In the 20th century, the Basantes name continued to be associated with notable individuals in various fields. Jorge Basantes (1920-1998) was a renowned Ecuadorian painter and sculptor whose works are celebrated for their unique blend of indigenous and modern styles.
More recently, María Elena Basantes (born 1957) is an acclaimed Ecuadorian writer and academic who has published several novels and literary works that explore themes of identity, culture, and social issues in Ecuador.
While the Basantes surname originated in Ecuador, it has since spread to other parts of South America and beyond, as people with this last name have migrated and established themselves in different regions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Basantes
Among Census respondents with the surname Basantes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Basantes 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 Basantes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.0% · 191
- White2.0% · 4
- Black or African American1.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
- Two or more races0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Basantes
Basantes 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
#89,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 206
+44 bearers (+27.2%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 12,938 places
2020
#97,730
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 199
-7 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 7,977 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #102,691 | 162 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #89,753 | 206 | 0.07 | +44 bearers (+27.2%) | Up 12,938 places |
| 2020 | #97,730 | 199 | 0.07 | -7 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 7,977 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 Basantes 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 | #89,753 | #97,730 | -8.9% |
| Count | 206 | 199 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.07 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Basantes bearers went from 206 to 199 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 7,977 positions in the national ranking, going from #89,753 to #97,730.
FAQ
Basantes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Basantes?
Name Census estimates that about 228 living Americans carry the surname Basantes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,503,309 residents.
How common is Basantes?
Basantes ranks #97,730 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 199 people with the surname Basantes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (228), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Basantes.
Has Basantes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Basantes went from 206 recorded bearers to 199. That is a decrease of 7 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #89,753 to #97,730.
What does the Census say about the background of Basantes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Basantes, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.0%. The next largest groups are White (2.0%) and Black (1.0%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Basantes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (191 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Basantes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (96.0%), White (2.0%), Black (1.0%). 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 Basantes (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 Basantes mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Spanish word "basto" meaning a saddle maker or leather worker. 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 Basantes (0.07 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 people have the last name Basantes?
See how many people are called Basantes on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.