2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bassant
A surname derived from the French 'basane' meaning dressed or tanned leather.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Bassant. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bassant 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Bassant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bassant, the largest self-reported group is White at 32.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (28.8%) and Black (21.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bassant
The surname BASSANT is of French origin, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the Normandy region of northern France, where it was derived from the Old French word "bassant," meaning "low" or "short." This could suggest that the name was initially a descriptive nickname for someone of short stature or low social status.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BASSANT name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Bassant" and "Basant," indicating its presence in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Raoul BASSANT was mentioned in historical records as a prominent landowner in the Cotentin region of Normandy. His descendants likely carried the name forward and contributed to its spread throughout France and beyond.
During the 13th century, the BASSANT name was associated with several noble families in the Île-de-France region, including the Seigneurs de Bassant, who held land and titles in the area around Paris. One of the earliest recorded examples is Philippe BASSANT, a knight who participated in the Seventh Crusade under King Louis IX in the mid-1200s.
As the name spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as "Bassaunt," "Basaunt," and "Bassaunt." In the 14th century, a prominent English figure named John BASSANT was recorded as a member of the gentry in Lincolnshire, holding significant land and influence in the region.
Another notable bearer of the BASSANT name was Jacques BASSANT, a French scholar and theologian who lived in the 15th century. He was a professor at the University of Paris and wrote several treatises on canon law and ecclesiastical matters, contributing to the intellectual discourse of his time.
These examples illustrate the historical presence and spread of the BASSANT surname across different regions and social strata, from noble families to scholars and landowners. While the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it evolved into a distinct surname carried by individuals of various backgrounds and accomplishments throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bassant
Among Census respondents with the surname Bassant, the largest self-reported group is White at 32.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (28.8%) and Black (21.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bassant 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 Bassant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White32.2% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander28.8% · 34
- Black or African American21.2% · 25
- Two or more races10.2% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bassant
Bassant appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+4 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,709 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.5%) | Up 1,709 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 Bassant 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 | #145,220 | #143,511 | 1.2% |
| Count | 114 | 118 | 3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bassant bearers went from 114 to 118 (+3.5% change). The surname moved up 1,709 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #143,511.
FAQ
Bassant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bassant?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Bassant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Bassant?
Bassant ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Bassant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Bassant.
Has Bassant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bassant went from 114 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 4 (+3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Bassant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bassant, the largest self-reported group is White at 32.2%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (28.8%) and Black (21.2%). 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 Bassant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 32.2% (38 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bassant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (32.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (28.8%), Black (21.2%). 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 Bassant (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 Bassant mean?
A surname derived from the French 'basane' meaning dressed or tanned leather. 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 Bassant (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 many Americans have the surname Bassant?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.