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

Bissett, 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 Bissett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bissett in America

Bissett is the 13065th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bissett surname appeared 2,350 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bissett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bissett 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 Bissett

The surname Bissett has its origins in the English counties of Somerset and Devon, where it first appeared in the 11th century as a locational name. It is derived from the Old English words "bice" meaning a bee, and "sæte" meaning a dwelling or homestead, indicating that the initial bearers lived near a bee colony or beehive.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Bissett dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Bicesate". This entry refers to a manor in Devon held by a Norman nobleman named Roger de Bicesate.

In the 12th century, the name began to spread to other parts of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. During this period, variations in spelling emerged, such as Byset, Bysset, and Byssett.

One notable figure bearing the Bissett surname was Sir John Bissett (c. 1270-1349), an English knight and landowner from Somerset. He fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence under King Edward I and was later appointed as the Sheriff of Somerset in 1309.

Another prominent individual was Sir Thomas Bissett (c. 1420-1478), a member of the English gentry from Devon. He served as a Member of Parliament for Tavistock in 1460 and was involved in the Wars of the Roses, supporting the House of Lancaster.

In Scotland, the Bissett name can be traced back to the 13th century, when it was associated with the lands of Lessudden in Roxburghshire. The Scottish branch of the family is believed to have descended from the English Bissetts who migrated northwards.

One of the most well-known Scottish Bissetts was Sir Walter Bissett (c. 1285-1356), a knight and landowner in Moray. He fought alongside King Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence and was rewarded with the lands of Quarrelwood in Moray for his loyalty.

Another notable Scottish figure was Sir John Bissett (c. 1430-1498), who served as Lord High Treasurer of Scotland under King James III. He was also appointed as the Keeper of the Great Seal and played a significant role in the administration of the Scottish government in the late 15th century.

The Bissett surname has also been documented in Ireland, where it is believed to have arrived during the Norman invasion in the 12th century. However, the Irish branch of the family is less well-documented than their English and Scottish counterparts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bissett

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

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

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

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