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

Basnaw, 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 Basnaw surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Basnaw in America

Basnaw is the 141140th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Basnaw surname appeared 118 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 Basnaw.

We can also compare 2010 data for Basnaw 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 Basnaw

The surname Basnaw originated in the region of Normandy in northern France during the early Middle Ages. It is believed to derive from the Old Norman French words "bas" meaning low or short, and "naue" referring to a small valley or dell. This suggests the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in or near a low-lying valley.

One of the earliest recorded references to this name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a manuscript recording landowners in Norman-conquered England. An entry for "Radulfus de Basnauwe" is listed as holding lands in Somerset. This indicates the Basnaw surname had already become established in England by the late 11th century.

During the 12th century, variations like "de Basnawe" and "de Basnawes" crop up in medieval charters and tax rolls across Normandy and England. The "de" prefix denoted the name's territorial origins. A Johan de Basnawes is recorded as a landowner in Suffolk, England in 1198.

Notable early bearers include Sir Richard Basnaw, a knight who fought alongside William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Basnaw Castle in Normandy may have taken its name from this family line. Around 1250, a Ralph de Basnawes served as Sheriff of Somerset under King Henry III.

In the 14th century, spellings began evolving closer to the modern form, with instances like "Basnawe" appearing in 1327 tax records from York. John Basnaw (c.1360-1412) was an English politician who represented Somerset in the Parliament of 1399. During the Wars of the Roses, a Yorkist soldier named Edward Basnaw (c.1430-1487) fought at the Battle of Towton in 1461.

By the Renaissance era, the Basnaw name had spread across the English realm. William Basnaw (1512-1591) was a renowned Tudor-era playwright and poet based in London. In Scotland, records show a David Basnaw (c.1550-1621) who served as Provost (mayor) of Dundee from 1595 to 1601.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Basnaw

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

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

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

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