2000
#56,120
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 341
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.13
Very Rare Last name
Bassey
An Anglicized version of the West African name Bessy or Obasi, meaning ruler or king.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 815 Americans carry the last name Bassey. That puts it at #34,347 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 420,557 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bassey 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bassey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
815
1 in 420,557
Census rank
#34,347
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
711
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 711 bearers of the surname Bassey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 34347th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bassey, the largest self-reported group is Black at 85.8%. The next largest groups are White (10.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bassey
The surname BASSEY is of English origin, specifically from the region of Cheshire in northwest England. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bæcci," which means "dweller by a stream or brook." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name likely lived near a small watercourse or stream.
The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with early recorded instances appearing in the Cheshire County Rolls of 1260. These ancient records list individuals with variations of the name, such as Basci and Bassy. The spelling "Bassey" became more standardized in later centuries.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the Bassey surname. However, the book does mention places with similar-sounding names, such as Bache in Cheshire, which could be related to the origin of the Bassey name.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Bassey surname was William Bassey, born around 1520 in Nantwich, Cheshire. He was a prominent figure in the local community and served as a churchwarden in the parish church of St. Mary's.
Another notable individual was Sir Richard Bassey (1634-1698), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Cheshire in the late 17th century. He was known for his support of the Glorious Revolution that brought William III and Mary II to the English throne.
In the 18th century, John Bassey (1712-1786) was a successful merchant and trader in Liverpool, contributing to the city's growth as a major port during the Industrial Revolution.
Moving into the 19th century, Mary Bassey (1825-1902) was a prominent educator and headmistress of the Bassey Girls' School in Chester, which provided education to underprivileged children in the area.
One of the most famous individuals with the Bassey surname is Shirley Bassey (born 1937), the iconic Welsh singer known for her powerful vocals and numerous hit songs, including the James Bond theme songs "Goldfinger," "Diamonds Are Forever," and "Moonraker."
While the Bassey name has English roots, it has also spread to other parts of the world, including Nigeria, where it is a common surname among certain ethnic groups. However, the Nigerian Basseys likely have a different origin and meaning for their name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bassey
Among Census respondents with the surname Bassey, the largest self-reported group is Black at 85.8%. The next largest groups are White (10.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bassey 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 Bassey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American85.8% · 610
- White10.0% · 71
- Two or more races2.5% · 18
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bassey
Bassey 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
#45,189
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 474
+133 bearers (+39.0%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 10,931 places
2020
#34,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 711
+237 bearers (+50.0%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Up 10,842 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #56,120 | 341 | 0.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #45,189 | 474 | 0.16 | +133 bearers (+39.0%) | Up 10,931 places |
| 2020 | #34,347 | 711 | 0.24 | +237 bearers (+50.0%) | Up 10,842 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 Bassey 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 | #45,189 | #34,347 | 24.0% |
| Count | 474 | 711 | 50.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.24 | 48.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bassey bearers went from 474 to 711 (+50.0% change). The surname moved up 10,842 positions in the national ranking, going from #45,189 to #34,347.
FAQ
Bassey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bassey?
Name Census estimates that about 815 living Americans carry the surname Bassey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 420,557 residents.
How common is Bassey?
Bassey ranks #34,347 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 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 711 people with the surname Bassey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (815), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 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 Bassey.
Has Bassey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bassey went from 474 recorded bearers to 711. That is an increase of 237 (+50.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #45,189 to #34,347.
What does the Census say about the background of Bassey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bassey, the largest self-reported group is Black at 85.8%. The next largest groups are White (10.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bassey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (610 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bassey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (85.8%), White (10.0%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Bassey (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 Bassey mean?
An Anglicized version of the West African name Bessy or Obasi, meaning ruler or king. 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 Bassey (0.24 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 Bassey?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Bassey on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.