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

Bussey, 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 Bussey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bussey in America

Bussey is the 4880th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bussey surname appeared 7,219 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Bussey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bussey 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 Bussey

The surname Bussey is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from the village of Bushey in Hertfordshire. The name is believed to come from the Old English words "bysce" or "busc," meaning bush or thicket, referring to the wooded area where the village was situated.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bussey can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Hertfordshire from 1194, where it is spelled "de Bussheye." This spelling variation reflects the common practice of adding the Norman-French preposition "de" to denote a place of origin.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as "Bussey," "Busshey," and "Busseye," in various records across Hertfordshire and neighboring counties. This suggests that the name had become more widespread and established during this period.

Notable historical figures with the surname Bussey include Sir John Bussey (c. 1505-1580), a prominent lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Bussey (1628-1699), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Shenfield in Essex.

In the 17th century, the name Bussey appeared in the parish records of several villages in Hertfordshire, indicating the continued presence of the family in the area. One such record from 1642 mentions a William Bussey, who was a landowner in the village of Bushey.

The 18th century saw the spread of the Bussey name to other parts of England, as well as to the American colonies. One notable figure from this period was Sir Jeremiah Bussey (1720-1795), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, the Bussey family established itself in various professions, including law, medicine, and academia. One prominent individual was Benjamin Bussey (1757-1842), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who donated a significant portion of his fortune to Harvard University for the establishment of the Bussey Institute, a school of agriculture and horticulture.

Throughout its history, the surname Bussey has maintained a strong connection to its English roots, particularly in the county of Hertfordshire, where the name originated from the village of Bushey.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bussey

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!