2000
#6,944
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,454
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.65
Rare Last name
Bessette
A French occupational surname for a dealer or maker of shovels, derived from Old French "besset" meaning "spade" or "shovel."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,788 Americans carry the last name Bessette. That puts it at #7,641 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,586 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bessette 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
4.8K
1 in 71,586
Census rank
#7,641
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,175 bearers of the surname Bessette in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7641st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bessette, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bessette
The surname Bessette has its origins in France, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "besser," which means "to embrace" or "to kiss." Originally, the name was likely a descriptive nickname or an occupational name for someone who worked as an embracer or greeter.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bessette can be found in the Livre des Métiers, a medieval French manuscript from the 13th century, which lists various occupations and trades. It appears as "Bessete," referring to an embracer or greeter in a religious or ceremonial context.
In the 14th century, the name Bessette appeared in the Parisian tax rolls, indicating that families with this surname were living in the city at that time. The spelling variations included "Bessete," "Besset," and "Bessette."
A notable figure in the history of the Bessette surname was Jacques Bessette, born in 1525 in Burgundy, France. He was a successful merchant and landowner, and his descendants continued to use the Bessette name in the region.
Another prominent individual with the Bessette surname was Marie-Rose Bessette, born in 1846 in Quebec, Canada. She was a Canadian religious sister and was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 2010, becoming known as Saint Marie-Rose Durocher.
In the 17th century, the Bessette surname was found in the records of the French settlers who arrived in New France (present-day Quebec and other parts of Canada). François Bessette, born in 1652 in Quebec, was one of the earliest recorded bearers of the name in the New World.
During the 18th century, the Bessette family continued to establish itself in various regions of Quebec, with some members migrating to other parts of Canada and the United States. Notable individuals from this period include André Bessette, born in 1845 in Quebec, who was a Catholic brother and was canonized as a saint in 2010, becoming known as Saint André Bessette.
In the 19th century, the Bessette surname was well-established in both Canada and the United States, with families residing in various regions. Jean-Baptiste Bessette, born in 1811 in Quebec, was a prominent farmer and landowner in the region.
Throughout its history, the Bessette surname has been associated with various occupations, including merchants, farmers, religious figures, and others, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bessette
Among Census respondents with the surname Bessette, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bessette 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 Bessette surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 3,805
- Two or more races4.2% · 177
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 106
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 30
- Black or African American0.5% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bessette
Bessette 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
#7,457
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,469
+15 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Down 513 places
2020
#7,641
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,175
-294 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Down 184 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,944 | 4,454 | 1.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,457 | 4,469 | 1.52 | +15 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 513 places |
| 2020 | #7,641 | 4,175 | 1.40 | -294 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 184 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 Bessette 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 | #7,457 | #7,641 | -2.5% |
| Count | 4,469 | 4,175 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.52 | 1.40 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bessette bearers went from 4,469 to 4,175 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 184 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,457 to #7,641.
FAQ
Bessette surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bessette?
Name Census estimates that about 4,788 living Americans carry the surname Bessette. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,586 residents.
How common is Bessette?
Bessette ranks #7,641 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.40 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 4,175 people with the surname Bessette. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,788), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.40 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 Bessette.
Has Bessette become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bessette went from 4,469 recorded bearers to 4,175. That is a decrease of 294 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,457 to #7,641.
What does the Census say about the background of Bessette?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bessette, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bessette in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (3,805 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bessette appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (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 Bessette (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 Bessette mean?
A French occupational surname for a dealer or maker of shovels, derived from Old French "besset" meaning "spade" or "shovel." 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 Bessette (1.40 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 last name Bessette?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Bessette at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.