2000
#4,595
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,063
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.62
Rare Last name
Bussey
An English locational surname derived from any of several places named Bussey in Hertfordshire or Herefordshire.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,934 Americans carry the last name Bussey. That puts it at #4,933 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 43,201 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bussey 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 Bussey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.9K
1 in 43,201
Census rank
#4,933
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,919 bearers of the surname Bussey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4933rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bussey, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.7%. The next largest groups are Black (34.2%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bussey
Among Census respondents with the surname Bussey, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.7%. The next largest groups are Black (34.2%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bussey 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 Bussey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.7% · 3,852
- Black or African American34.2% · 2,368
- Two or more races5.8% · 403
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 210
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bussey
Bussey 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
#4,880
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,219
+156 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 2.45
Rank movement Down 285 places
2020
#4,933
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,919
-300 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 2.31
Rank movement Down 53 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,595 | 7,063 | 2.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,880 | 7,219 | 2.45 | +156 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 285 places |
| 2020 | #4,933 | 6,919 | 2.31 | -300 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 53 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 Bussey 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 | #4,880 | #4,933 | -1.1% |
| Count | 7,219 | 6,919 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.45 | 2.31 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bussey bearers went from 7,219 to 6,919 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 53 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,880 to #4,933.
FAQ
Bussey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bussey?
Name Census estimates that about 7,934 living Americans carry the surname Bussey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 43,201 residents.
How common is Bussey?
Bussey ranks #4,933 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.31 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,919 people with the surname Bussey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,934), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.31 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Bussey.
Has Bussey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bussey went from 7,219 recorded bearers to 6,919. That is a decrease of 300 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,880 to #4,933.
What does the Census say about the background of Bussey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bussey, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.7%. The next largest groups are Black (34.2%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Bussey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.7% (3,852 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bussey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.7%), Black (34.2%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Bussey (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 Bussey mean?
An English locational surname derived from any of several places named Bussey in Hertfordshire or Herefordshire. 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 Bussey (2.31 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 common is the surname Bussey?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Bussey, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.