2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bussom
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "wooded valley".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Bussom. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bussom 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.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Bussom in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bussom, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bussom
The surname Bussom is of English origin, stemming from the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational surname, referring to someone who hailed from a place called Bussum or Busum. These place names are thought to derive from the Old English words "bysc" and "ham," meaning "bush" and "homestead" respectively, suggesting that the name originally referred to a settlement located near or surrounded by bushes.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Bussom can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest mentions is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which lists a Thomas de Bussum. This entry suggests that the name was already well-established in the region during that period.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various records, including the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire, where a John de Bussum was mentioned in 1344. The Feet of Fines for Essex in 1385 also recorded a Robert Bussum, indicating the spread of the name across different parts of England.
One notable individual bearing the surname Bussom was Sir John Bussom, a English knight who lived during the 15th century. He was a prominent figure in the Wars of the Roses, fighting for the House of Lancaster. Sir John Bussom was recorded as owning lands in Warwickshire and Leicestershire in the late 1400s.
Another historically significant person with the surname was William Bussom, a 16th-century merchant and alderman in the city of London. He was a prominent member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers and served as the Sheriff of London in 1557-1558.
In the 17th century, the surname Bussom was found in various parish records across England. One notable example is Richard Bussom, who was baptized in the parish of St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, in 1631. Additionally, the marriage of John Bussom and Elizabeth Smyth was recorded in the parish of St. Dunstan's, Stepney, in 1688.
The 18th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals with the Bussom surname. John Bussom, born in 1712, was a respected physician and author who published works on medical topics. Another John Bussom, born in 1743, was a prominent lawyer and served as a magistrate in Lincolnshire.
In the 19th century, the surname Bussom continued to be found in various records and directories across England. One notable figure was Charles Bussom, born in 1821, who was a renowned architect and designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bussom
Among Census respondents with the surname Bussom, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bussom 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 Bussom surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 105
- Two or more races5.2% · 6
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bussom
Bussom 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-8 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,699 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+8 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,871 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 17,699 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.5%) | Up 6,871 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 Bussom 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 | #152,628 | #145,757 | 4.5% |
| Count | 107 | 115 | 7.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bussom bearers went from 107 to 115 (+7.5% change). The surname moved up 6,871 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #145,757.
FAQ
Bussom surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bussom?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Bussom. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Bussom?
Bussom ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Bussom. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bussom.
Has Bussom become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bussom went from 107 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 8 (+7.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Bussom?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bussom, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Bussom in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bussom appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Two or More Races (5.2%), Black (1.7%). 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 Bussom (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 Bussom mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "wooded valley". 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 Bussom (0.04 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 Bussom?
Want to know how many people have the surname Bussom? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.