2000
#8,667
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,493
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.29
Rare Last name
Bisson
A Norman French nickname meaning "the son," likely referring to the eldest or most prominent son.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,726 Americans carry the last name Bisson. That puts it at #9,570 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,990 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bisson 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 Bisson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 91,990
Census rank
#9,570
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,249 bearers of the surname Bisson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9570th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bisson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bisson
Among Census respondents with the surname Bisson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bisson 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 Bisson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 2,947
- Two or more races3.9% · 127
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 77
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 43
- Black or African American1.0% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bisson
Bisson 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
#8,887
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,685
+192 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 220 places
2020
#9,570
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,249
-436 bearers (-11.8%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 683 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,667 | 3,493 | 1.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,887 | 3,685 | 1.25 | +192 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 220 places |
| 2020 | #9,570 | 3,249 | 1.09 | -436 bearers (-11.8%) | Down 683 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 Bisson 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 | #8,887 | #9,570 | -7.7% |
| Count | 3,685 | 3,249 | -11.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.25 | 1.09 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bisson bearers went from 3,685 to 3,249 (-11.8% change). The surname moved down 683 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,887 to #9,570.
FAQ
Bisson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bisson?
Name Census estimates that about 3,726 living Americans carry the surname Bisson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,990 residents.
How common is Bisson?
Bisson ranks #9,570 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.09 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 3,249 people with the surname Bisson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,726), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.09 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 Bisson.
Has Bisson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bisson went from 3,685 recorded bearers to 3,249. That is a decrease of 436 (-11.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,887 to #9,570.
What does the Census say about the background of Bisson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bisson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bisson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (2,947 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bisson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (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 Bisson (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 Bisson mean?
A Norman French nickname meaning "the son," likely referring to the eldest or most prominent son. 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 Bisson (1.09 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 people share the surname Bisson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.