2000
#12,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,373
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.88
Rare Last name
Bissett
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place of the same name in Berwickshire, likely meaning "place of the bishop."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,516 Americans carry the last name Bissett. That puts it at #13,304 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 136,230 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bissett 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bissett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 136,230
Census rank
#13,304
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,194 bearers of the surname Bissett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13304th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bissett, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bissett
Among Census respondents with the surname Bissett, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bissett 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 Bissett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 2,010
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 73
- Two or more races3.0% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 19
- Black or African American0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bissett
Bissett 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
#13,065
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,350
-23 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 1,001 places
2020
#13,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,194
-156 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 239 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,064 | 2,373 | 0.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,065 | 2,350 | 0.80 | -23 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 1,001 places |
| 2020 | #13,304 | 2,194 | 0.73 | -156 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 239 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 Bissett 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 | #13,065 | #13,304 | -1.8% |
| Count | 2,350 | 2,194 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.73 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bissett bearers went from 2,350 to 2,194 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 239 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,065 to #13,304.
FAQ
Bissett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bissett?
Name Census estimates that about 2,516 living Americans carry the surname Bissett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 136,230 residents.
How common is Bissett?
Bissett ranks #13,304 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 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 2,194 people with the surname Bissett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,516), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 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 Bissett.
Has Bissett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bissett went from 2,350 recorded bearers to 2,194. That is a decrease of 156 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,065 to #13,304.
What does the Census say about the background of Bissett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bissett, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Bissett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (2,010 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bissett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Bissett (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 Bissett mean?
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place of the same name in Berwickshire, likely meaning "place of the bishop." 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 Bissett (0.73 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 Bissett?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.