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

Bisson, 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 Bisson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bisson in America

Bisson is the 8887th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bisson surname appeared 3,685 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 Bisson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bisson 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 Bisson

The surname Bisson is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "bisson," meaning "brown" or "tawny." This descriptive name was likely initially given as a nickname to someone with a brownish or tanned complexion.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Picardy, as early as the 12th century. Historical records indicate that the name was present in the village of Bisson, located in the department of Calvados in Normandy.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Bisson," "Byszoun," and "Bysonn," reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. One notable mention is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded individuals with the name Bisson in the counties of Somerset and Devon in England.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the name Bisson. However, it is possible that the name existed in its early forms during that time but was not recorded in this particular document.

Throughout history, several individuals with the surname Bisson have achieved recognition in various fields. One notable figure was François Bisson (1767-1811), a French military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. Bisson rose to the rank of General and was awarded the prestigious Légion d'Honneur for his service.

Another prominent figure was Alexandre Bisson (1848-1912), a French playwright and author known for his comedic works. His plays, such as "Le Députe de Bombignac" and "Le Contrôleur des Wagons-Lits," were widely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the realm of art, Louis-Auguste Bisson (1814-1876) was a notable French painter and lithographer. He is particularly renowned for his depictions of historical scenes and portraits, many of which can be found in museums across France.

Moving to the 20th century, Camille Bisson (1904-1998) was a distinguished French scholar and linguist who made significant contributions to the study of Gallo, a regional language spoken in parts of northwestern France.

Lastly, Jean-Pierre Bisson (1917-2005) was a French writer and historian known for his works on World War II and the French Resistance. His book "Vichy et la Résistance" (Vichy and the Resistance) received critical acclaim for its in-depth analysis of the Vichy regime and the resistance movement during the war.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bisson

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

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

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

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