2000
#14,939
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,816
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.67
Rare Last name
Besaw
A French occupational surname for a carpenter or woodcutter, derived from the Old French word "besel" meaning "wood-axe."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,079 Americans carry the last name Besaw. That puts it at #15,535 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 164,865 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Besaw 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
2.1K
1 in 164,865
Census rank
#15,535
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,813 bearers of the surname Besaw in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15535th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Besaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Besaw
The surname BESAW has its origins in France and can be traced back to the early 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French words "beau" meaning "beautiful" and "sau" meaning "willow tree". This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a particularly beautiful willow tree or a location with an abundance of willow trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BESAW name appears in a French parish record from the year 1642, where a person named Jean BESAW is listed as a resident of a small village in the Normandy region. The name is also found in various other historical documents from the same period, often with variations in spelling such as Beso, Besault, and Beseau.
In the mid-18th century, a family with the BESAW surname is recorded as having migrated from France to the British colonies in North America, settling in the area that is now known as Quebec, Canada. This branch of the BESAW family played a significant role in the early development of the region, with several members being listed as landowners and prominent citizens.
One notable individual with the BESAW surname was Jacques BESAW (1725-1798), a French-Canadian farmer and militia captain who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He was awarded a land grant in recognition of his service and went on to establish a successful farming community in the region.
Another historical figure was Marie-Josephte BESAW (1790-1865), a French-Canadian woman who became known for her philanthropic work and her efforts to establish schools and orphanages in her community. She is remembered as a influential figure in the region's social and educational development.
In the 19th century, the BESAW name began to appear in various parts of the United States, as descendants of the original French settlers migrated westward. One prominent example is William BESAW (1832-1912), a businessman and landowner from Wisconsin who played a significant role in the development of the lumber industry in the region.
Throughout its history, the BESAW surname has also been associated with various place names and locations. For instance, there is a small village called Besaw in the Normandy region of France, which may have been the original homeland of the family. Additionally, there are several streets and neighborhoods named after the BESAW family in various cities in North America, reflecting their historical significance in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Besaw
Among Census respondents with the surname Besaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Besaw 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 Besaw surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.9% · 1,611
- Two or more races5.4% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 13
- Black or African American0.6% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Besaw
Besaw 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
#15,183
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,940
+124 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 244 places
2020
#15,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,813
-127 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 352 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,939 | 1,816 | 0.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,183 | 1,940 | 0.66 | +124 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 244 places |
| 2020 | #15,535 | 1,813 | 0.61 | -127 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 352 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 Besaw 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 | #15,183 | #15,535 | -2.3% |
| Count | 1,940 | 1,813 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.61 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Besaw bearers went from 1,940 to 1,813 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 352 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,183 to #15,535.
FAQ
Besaw surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Besaw?
Name Census estimates that about 2,079 living Americans carry the surname Besaw. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 164,865 residents.
How common is Besaw?
Besaw ranks #15,535 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,813 people with the surname Besaw. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,079), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Besaw.
Has Besaw become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Besaw went from 1,940 recorded bearers to 1,813. That is a decrease of 127 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,183 to #15,535.
What does the Census say about the background of Besaw?
Among Census respondents with the surname Besaw, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Besaw in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.9% (1,611 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Besaw appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.9%), Two or More Races (5.4%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Besaw (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 Besaw mean?
A French occupational surname for a carpenter or woodcutter, derived from the Old French word "besel" meaning "wood-axe." 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 Besaw (0.61 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 have the surname Besaw?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.