2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bissainthe
A variant spelling of the French surname Besançon, denoting someone from the city of Besançon.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 239 Americans carry the last name Bissainthe. That puts it at #94,341 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,434,119 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bissainthe 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
239
1 in 1,434,119
Census rank
#94,341
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
208
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 208 bearers of the surname Bissainthe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 94341st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bissainthe, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and White (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bissainthe
The surname BISSAINTHE has its origins in France, tracing back to the early medieval period around the 10th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old French words "bis" meaning "twice" and "sainte" meaning "holy," suggesting a connection to a place name or a religious context.
One of the earliest known references to this surname can be found in the Cartulary of Saint-Père de Chartres, a medieval manuscript from the 11th century, which mentions a person named "Robertus Bissainthe" as a witness to a land transaction. This indicates that the name was already established in the region of Chartres, France, during that time.
In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various records throughout Normandy and Brittany, with variations such as "Bissainte" and "Bissante." These regional spellings likely reflect the local dialects and pronunciations of the time.
During the 14th century, the name BISSAINTHE gained prominence in the region of Anjou, where it was associated with a noble family that held lands near the town of Saumur. Records from the Duchy of Anjou mention a knight named "Hugues de Bissainthe" who participated in military campaigns alongside the Count of Anjou.
One notable figure bearing this surname was Jean BISSAINTHE, a French scholar and theologian born in Rouen around 1475. He studied at the University of Paris and later became a renowned professor of canon law and theology, authoring several influential works on religious doctrine.
In the 16th century, the name BISSAINTHE appeared in the parish records of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier in Brittany, where a family with this surname owned a substantial estate and played a significant role in local affairs. One member of this family, Jacques BISSAINTHE (1532-1612), was a respected magistrate and served as the mayor of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier.
Another notable figure was Marie BISSAINTHE (1598-1672), a French noblewoman and philanthropist from the Anjou region. She was known for her charitable works and founded a hospice for the poor and destitute in the town of Angers.
Throughout the centuries, the BISSAINTHE surname has maintained a presence in various regions of France, with some families migrating to other parts of Europe and eventually to other continents. While the exact origins and meaning of this surname may remain somewhat obscure, its history reflects the rich cultural tapestry of France and the diverse lineages that have carried this name over generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bissainthe
Among Census respondents with the surname Bissainthe, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and White (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bissainthe 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 Bissainthe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American90.9% · 189
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 7
- White2.4% · 5
- Two or more races2.4% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bissainthe
Bissainthe 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
#102,197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 176
+45 bearers (+34.4%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 19,583 places
2020
#94,341
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 208
+32 bearers (+18.2%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 7,856 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #102,197 | 176 | 0.06 | +45 bearers (+34.4%) | Up 19,583 places |
| 2020 | #94,341 | 208 | 0.07 | +32 bearers (+18.2%) | Up 7,856 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 Bissainthe 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 | #102,197 | #94,341 | 7.7% |
| Count | 176 | 208 | 18.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.07 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bissainthe bearers went from 176 to 208 (+18.2% change). The surname moved up 7,856 positions in the national ranking, going from #102,197 to #94,341.
FAQ
Bissainthe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bissainthe?
Name Census estimates that about 239 living Americans carry the surname Bissainthe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,434,119 residents.
How common is Bissainthe?
Bissainthe ranks #94,341 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 208 people with the surname Bissainthe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (239), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Bissainthe.
Has Bissainthe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bissainthe went from 176 recorded bearers to 208. That is an increase of 32 (+18.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #102,197 to #94,341.
What does the Census say about the background of Bissainthe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bissainthe, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and White (2.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bissainthe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.9% (189 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bissainthe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (90.9%), Hispanic (3.4%), White (2.4%). 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 Bissainthe (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 Bissainthe mean?
A variant spelling of the French surname Besançon, denoting someone from the city of Besançon. 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 Bissainthe (0.07 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 Americans have the surname Bissainthe?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.