2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bascus
An English surname likely derived from an old French place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Bascus. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bascus 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Bascus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bascus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.8%) and White (17.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bascus
The surname Bascus has its origins in Spain, dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Basque region, which was inhabited by a distinct ethnic group with their own language and cultural traditions. The name may have originated from the Basque word "baso," meaning forest or woods.
In the early 12th century, records show the name appearing in various forms, such as Bascus, Bascoz, and Bascoz de Mieres. These variations suggest that the name was influenced by the local dialects and spellings of the time. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was found in the Cartulario de San Vicente de Oviedo, a medieval manuscript from the 12th century.
During the 13th century, the name Bascus became more prominent in the region of Asturias, located in northern Spain. This area was known for its rugged terrain and dense forests, which may have contributed to the association of the name with the concept of woodlands.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Bascus include Juan Bascus de Llanes, a prominent landowner and nobleman from the late 13th century. His estate, known as the Señorío de Bascus, was located in the town of Llanes, Asturias. Another notable figure was Rodrigo Bascus de Oviedo, a scholar and theologian who lived in the 14th century and authored several works on religious philosophy.
In the 15th century, the name Bascus appeared in records from the nearby region of Galicia. One notable individual from this period was Pedro Bascus de Ribadeo, a merchant and shipowner who played a significant role in the trade between Spain and the Americas during the early years of Spanish colonization.
As the centuries passed, the Bascus surname spread to other parts of Spain and eventually to Latin America, particularly to regions with strong Spanish influence, such as Mexico and parts of Central America. Notable individuals with this surname from later periods include Miguel Bascus y Salcedo, a Spanish military officer who served in the Spanish colonial forces in the 18th century, and Juana Bascus de Ríos, a prominent landowner and philanthropist from 19th century Mexico.
While the surname Bascus has its roots in the Basque region and the northern regions of Spain, it has since become a part of the rich tapestry of Spanish surnames, carrying with it a connection to the rugged landscapes and cultural traditions of its origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bascus
Among Census respondents with the surname Bascus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.8%) and White (17.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bascus 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 Bascus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American43.3% · 52
- Hispanic or Latino30.8% · 37
- White17.5% · 21
- Two or more races5.8% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bascus
Bascus 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
#129,825
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
+20 bearers (+18.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,916 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-11 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,224 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,825 | 131 | 0.04 | +20 bearers (+18.0%) | Up 8,916 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 12,224 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 Bascus 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 | #129,825 | #142,049 | -9.4% |
| Count | 131 | 120 | -8.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bascus bearers went from 131 to 120 (-8.4% change). The surname moved down 12,224 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,825 to #142,049.
FAQ
Bascus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bascus?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Bascus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Bascus?
Bascus ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 120 people with the surname Bascus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Bascus.
Has Bascus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bascus went from 131 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,825 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Bascus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bascus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.8%) and White (17.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bascus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 43.3% (52 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bascus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (43.3%), Hispanic (30.8%), White (17.5%). 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 Bascus (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 Bascus mean?
An English surname likely derived from an old French place name. 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 Bascus (0.04 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 common is the surname Bascus?
See how many people have the surname Bascus on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.