2000
#106,477
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 155
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Basen
A surname likely of German origin meaning "bath attendant" or "bathhouse worker."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Basen. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Basen 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Basen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Basen, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Basen
The surname Basen has its origins in Germany, where it is believed to have first emerged in the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the medieval German word "bas," meaning "uncle," which was likely used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who resembled or acted like an uncle figure.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Basen can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that the name was already well-established in that area by that time.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various municipal records and tax rolls across different German regions, indicating its spread and prevalence. One notable example is Hans Basen, a merchant from the city of Nuremberg, who was mentioned in a trade document from 1378.
As the surname Basen continued to evolve, it also took on several variations in spelling, such as Bassen, Bassen, and Baschen. These alternative forms were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
In the 16th century, the name Basen gained further prominence with the birth of Johann Basen (1523-1600), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. His writings and teachings helped shape the religious landscape of that era.
Another notable figure with the surname Basen was Friedrich Basen (1712-1783), a German philosopher and author who wrote extensively on topics ranging from ethics to aesthetics. His works, such as "Essays on the Nature of Beauty" and "Reflections on the Moral Sense," gained him recognition among the intellectual circles of his time.
Over the centuries, the Basen surname has also been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, musicians, and scholars. For instance, Katharina Basen (1845-1920) was a renowned German painter known for her exquisite landscape and still-life works, while Wilhelm Basen (1867-1932) was a celebrated composer and violinist who contributed significantly to the development of German classical music.
While the name Basen may not be as common today as it once was, its historical significance and rich heritage continue to be a source of interest for researchers and genealogists alike.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Basen
Among Census respondents with the surname Basen, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Basen 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 Basen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.5% · 5
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Basen
Basen 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-35 bearers (-22.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 32,751 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-10 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,218 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #106,477 | 155 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -35 bearers (-22.6%) | Down 32,751 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 10,218 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 Basen 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 | #139,228 | #149,446 | -7.3% |
| Count | 120 | 110 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Basen bearers went from 120 to 110 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 10,218 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #149,446.
FAQ
Basen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Basen?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Basen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Basen?
Basen ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Basen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Basen.
Has Basen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Basen went from 120 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Basen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Basen, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Basen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Basen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (5.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.5%). 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 Basen (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 Basen mean?
A surname likely of German origin meaning "bath attendant" or "bathhouse 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 Basen (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 Basen?
You can see how many people are called Basen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.