Bessinger last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Bessinger

A German surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from a town called Bessingen.

Bessinger, 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 Bessinger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bessinger in America

Bessinger is the 35447th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bessinger surname appeared 635 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 Bessinger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bessinger 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 35447 27128 26.59%
Count 635 839 -27.68%
Proportion per 100k 0.22 0.31 -33.96%

The history of the last name Bessinger

The surname Bessinger is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Bess," which means "better" or "superior," and the suffix "-inger," indicating a place of origin or residence.

In its earliest recorded instances, the name was spelled as "Bessinger" or "Bezinger." It is possible that the name was initially associated with a specific location or region within Germany, although the exact place of origin remains uncertain.

One of the earliest known references to the Bessinger name can be found in the historical records of the city of Nuremberg, dating back to the late 16th century. A merchant named Hans Bessinger is mentioned in a document from 1592, suggesting that the name had already established itself in the region by that time.

In the 17th century, the Bessinger family appears to have spread across various parts of Germany, with records indicating their presence in cities such as Hamburg, Dresden, and Berlin. Notable individuals bearing the Bessinger name during this period include Johann Bessinger (1645-1712), a Protestant clergyman and author from Saxony.

As the name continued to evolve, variations such as "Bessinger," "Bessinger," and "Bössinger" emerged, reflecting regional differences in spelling and pronunciation. One prominent figure was Friedrich Bessinger (1740-1805), a German philosopher and educator who published several influential works on education and moral philosophy.

In the 19th century, the Bessinger name gained further recognition with the birth of Wilhelm Bessinger (1829-1901), a German businessman and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the German steel industry. His legacy is still celebrated in the town of Bessingen, which was named after his family.

Another notable individual was Anna Bessinger (1867-1942), a German writer and activist who fought for women's rights and educational reform. Her novel "Die Erbin" (The Heiress), published in 1895, brought her widespread acclaim and recognition as a literary figure of her time.

While the Bessinger name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread across various parts of the world, particularly through emigration and migration. However, the historical origins and significance of this surname remain deeply rooted in the rich cultural and linguistic traditions of its German heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bessinger

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

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 Bessinger was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.75% 608
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.79% 5
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.57% 10
Hispanic Origin 1.26% 8

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 Bessinger has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.75% 95.71% 0.04%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.79% 1.19% -40.40%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.57% 0.83% 61.67%
Hispanic 1.26% 1.91% -41.01%

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

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

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"Bessinger last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 20, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/bessinger-surname-popularity/.

"Bessinger last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/bessinger-surname-popularity/. Accessed 20 July, 2025

Bessinger last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/bessinger-surname-popularity/.

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