2000
#29,815
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 744
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.28
Very Rare Last name
Baswell
An English locational surname derived from a place named Baswell or Basewell.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 914 Americans carry the last name Baswell. That puts it at #31,175 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 375,005 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baswell 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 Baswell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
914
1 in 375,005
Census rank
#31,175
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
797
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 797 bearers of the surname Baswell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 31175th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baswell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baswell
The surname Baswell originates from England, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bas" meaning "bass" or "perch," and "well," signifying a natural spring or water source. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to individuals residing near a body of water abundant with bass or perch fish.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several references to places with similar names, such as "Basewell" and "Bassewell." These place names could have influenced the eventual formation of the Baswell surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Baswell surname can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Warwickshire, where a John Baswell was baptized in 1587. Another early record comes from the marriage of Thomas Baswell and Elizabeth Browne in the village of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, in 1612.
Notable individuals with the Baswell surname include Sir John Baswell (1633-1701), a prominent merchant and alderman in the City of London, and William Baswell (1760-1832), a renowned clockmaker from Lincolnshire who became a master of the Clockmakers' Company in 1809.
In the literary realm, George Baswell (1801-1876) was an English author and translator who published works on various subjects, including history, biography, and travel. His most notable work was a translation of Dante's Divine Comedy, published in 1865.
Another noteworthy figure was Reverend Richard Baswell (1817-1892), an Anglican clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Michael's Church in Gloucester. He published several theological works, including a commentary on the Book of Psalms and a treatise on Church doctrine.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Baswell surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, and Lincolnshire, though it can be found scattered throughout various regions of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baswell
Among Census respondents with the surname Baswell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Baswell 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 Baswell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 702
- Two or more races6.0% · 48
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 31
- Black or African American1.4% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baswell
Baswell 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
#31,107
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 746
+2 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Down 1,292 places
2020
#31,175
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 797
+51 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 68 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #29,815 | 744 | 0.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #31,107 | 746 | 0.25 | +2 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 1,292 places |
| 2020 | #31,175 | 797 | 0.27 | +51 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 68 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 Baswell 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 | #31,107 | #31,175 | -0.2% |
| Count | 746 | 797 | 6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.25 | 0.27 | 6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baswell bearers went from 746 to 797 (+6.8% change). The surname moved down 68 positions in the national ranking, going from #31,107 to #31,175.
FAQ
Baswell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baswell?
Name Census estimates that about 914 living Americans carry the surname Baswell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 375,005 residents.
How common is Baswell?
Baswell ranks #31,175 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.27 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 797 people with the surname Baswell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (914), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.27 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 Baswell.
Has Baswell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baswell went from 746 recorded bearers to 797. That is an increase of 51 (+6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #31,107 to #31,175.
What does the Census say about the background of Baswell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baswell, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Baswell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (702 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baswell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Two or More Races (6.0%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Baswell (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 Baswell mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place named Baswell or Basewell. 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 Baswell (0.27 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 people share the surname Baswell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.