2000
#8,784
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,436
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.27
Rare Last name
Hassett
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó hOisín, meaning "descendant of Oisín," a diminutive of the word "os" (deer).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,799 Americans carry the last name Hassett. That puts it at #9,413 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 90,222 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hassett 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 Hassett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 90,222
Census rank
#9,413
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,313 bearers of the surname Hassett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9413th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hassett, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hassett
The surname Hassett is of Irish origin, and it is believed to have originated in County Kerry, Ireland, in the 16th century. The name is derived from the Gaelic word "aisead," which means "a green sedgy field or meadow."
Hassett is a variant spelling of the Old Irish surname "O'Hoisin," which was anglicized to various forms, including Hassett, Hossey, and Hossett. The earliest recorded instance of the name Hassett dates back to 1601, when it appeared in the Fiants of Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, the Hassett family was among the prominent landowners in County Kerry, and their name was frequently mentioned in historical records related to land disputes and legal transactions. One notable individual from this period was John Hassett, who was involved in the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and was later pardoned by the English authorities.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Hassett name became more widespread across Ireland, particularly in counties Kerry, Cork, and Limerick. Several Hassett families were recorded in the Landed Estates of Ireland, indicating their status as landowners and influential members of their local communities.
One of the most renowned figures with the surname Hassett was John Michael Hassett (1868-1923), an Irish nationalist and Member of Parliament who played a significant role in the Irish Home Rule movement. Another notable individual was John Joseph Hassett (1836-1888), an Irish-born American prelate who served as the first Bishop of Brownsville, Texas.
Other individuals of note with the surname Hassett include:
1. James Hassett (1877-1943), an American politician and lawyer who served as the 40th Lieutenant Governor of New York.
2. John J. Hassett (1910-1995), an American lawyer and politician who served as the 53rd United States Secretary of the Navy.
3. John D. Hassett (1839-1918), an Irish-born American businessman and politician who served as the 24th Mayor of Buffalo, New York.
4. Edward Hassett (1870-1941), an Irish-born American prelate who served as the Bishop of Richmond, Virginia.
5. Anne Hassett (1917-1996), an American actress best known for her roles in several films noir during the 1940s and 1950s.
While the surname Hassett has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish immigration to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hassett
Among Census respondents with the surname Hassett, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Hassett 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 Hassett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 3,077
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 116
- Two or more races2.3% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 29
- Black or African American0.4% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hassett
Hassett 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
#9,132
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,576
+140 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 348 places
2020
#9,413
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,313
-263 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 281 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,784 | 3,436 | 1.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,132 | 3,576 | 1.21 | +140 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 348 places |
| 2020 | #9,413 | 3,313 | 1.11 | -263 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 281 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 Hassett 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 | #9,132 | #9,413 | -3.1% |
| Count | 3,576 | 3,313 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 1.11 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hassett bearers went from 3,576 to 3,313 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 281 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,132 to #9,413.
FAQ
Hassett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hassett?
Name Census estimates that about 3,799 living Americans carry the surname Hassett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 90,222 residents.
How common is Hassett?
Hassett ranks #9,413 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.11 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 3,313 people with the surname Hassett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,799), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.11 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 Hassett.
Has Hassett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hassett went from 3,576 recorded bearers to 3,313. That is a decrease of 263 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,132 to #9,413.
What does the Census say about the background of Hassett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hassett, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Hassett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (3,077 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hassett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Hassett (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 Hassett mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó hOisín, meaning "descendant of Oisín," a diminutive of the word "os" (deer). 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 Hassett (1.11 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 Hassett?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.