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

Bassett, 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 Bassett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bassett in America

Bassett is the 1750th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bassett surname appeared 20,482 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Bassett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bassett 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 Bassett

The surname Bassett originated in Normandy, France, in the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "bass," meaning "low" or "short," and the diminutive suffix "-et," implying "little." This suggests the name was initially given as a nickname to someone of short stature.

The name is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this record, several individuals bearing the name Bassett are listed as landowners in various counties of England, indicating that they were among the Norman nobility who accompanied William during the conquest of England in 1066.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Ralph Bassett, who lived in the 11th century and held lands in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Another notable figure was Philip Bassett, a 12th-century nobleman who served as Lord of Weldon and Sheriff of Northamptonshire.

In the 13th century, the Bassett family established themselves as prominent landowners in Devon, where they constructed the imposing Umberleigh Castle. Sir William Bassett (c. 1252-1305) was a respected knight and member of Parliament during the reign of Edward I.

During the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century, John Bassett (c. 1430-1486) fought for the Yorkist cause and was knighted by Edward IV for his loyalty and bravery. His descendant, Arthur Bassett (1541-1586), served as a Member of Parliament and was involved in the colonization of Newfoundland.

In the 17th century, William Bassett (1597-1667) was a prominent Puritan and one of the founders of the New Haven Colony in Connecticut, United States. His grandson, John Bassett (1671-1733), was a successful merchant and served as Deputy Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island.

Other notable individuals with the surname Bassett include Richard Bassett (1735-1815), a signer of the United States Constitution, and Fletcher Bassett (1844-1927), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bassett

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

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

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

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