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

Bessent, 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 Bessent surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bessent in America

Bessent is the 30303rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bessent surname appeared 772 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bessent.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bessent 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 Bessent

The surname Bessent originates from England and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "besant," which referred to a gold coin used during the Crusades. This suggests that the name may have been associated with someone who dealt in these coins or was involved in trade with the Middle East.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1214, which mentions a Robert Besant residing in Buckinghamshire. Another early reference is in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a John Besaunt in Oxfordshire. These records indicate that the name was present in various parts of southern and central England during the medieval period.

The surname Bessent is also linked to several place names in England, such as Bessingby in Yorkshire and Bessingworth in Gloucestershire. These locations may have influenced the spelling variations of the name, including Bessingham, Bessingworth, and Bessingby.

One notable individual with this surname was Sir Thomas Bessent (c. 1490 - 1558), who served as the Sheriff of Gloucestershire during the reign of Queen Mary I. Another prominent figure was Sir John Bessent (1545 - 1620), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London.

In the literary world, John Bessent (1679 - 1738) was an English poet and translator known for his translations of French plays. He was also a member of the Spalding Society, a literary group in the early 18th century.

Venturing into the realm of science, we find Edward Bessent (1738 - 1808), a British inventor and engineer who patented several innovations related to steam engines and pumps.

Finally, one cannot overlook the contributions of William Bessent (1820 - 1892), a notable architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in Gloucestershire and Somerset during the Victorian era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bessent

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!