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

Basham, 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 Basham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Basham in America

Basham is the 4036th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Basham surname appeared 8,806 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Basham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Basham 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 Basham

The surname Basham is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "bæcc" meaning "ridge" or "hill," and "ham" meaning "home" or "settlement." It is believed to have emerged in the 11th century as a locational surname, referring to individuals who resided near a prominent ridge or hill.

During the medieval period, the name was initially recorded with various spellings, such as Baccham, Bacham, and Bakham, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. One of the earliest known references to the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Baccham."

In the 13th century, the surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, with the entry "Willelmus de Baccham" recorded in 1230. This suggests that the name was well-established in the northern regions of England by this time.

Notable historical figures bearing the surname Basham include Sir William Basham (1557-1624), a wealthy merchant and alderman of London, and Robert Basham (1632-1702), an English clergyman and author of religious works.

In the 18th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of John Basham (1736-1819), a renowned English architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Mary-le-Strand.

Another prominent individual was Sir William Basham (1804-1877), a British surgeon and medical writer who served as the principal medical officer in the East India Company's Bengal Army. His contributions to the field of tropical medicine were widely recognized during his lifetime.

The 19th century saw the birth of Alfred Harry Basham (1891-1986), a distinguished British historian and indologist known for his seminal work on ancient Indian history and culture, including the book "The Wonder That Was India."

Throughout its history, the name Basham has maintained a connection to its geographical roots, often appearing in areas with prominent ridges or hills, such as the counties of Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire in England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Basham

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

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 Basham 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 Basham 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 Basham was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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