2000
#114,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Labass
A French surname derived from the phrase "la basse" meaning "the bass".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Labass. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Labass 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Labass in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Labass, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Labass
The surname Labass has its origins in France, specifically in the northern region of Picardy. The name dates back to the 13th century and is believed to have derived from the Old French term "la basse," which referred to a low-lying or marshy area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Livre de la Taille de Paris, a tax record from 1292, which mentions a Jean Labass residing in the city. This suggests that the surname had already become established by that time.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in various historical documents related to the region of Picardy. For instance, a certain Guillemin Labass was noted as a landowner in the village of Amiens in 1437.
The Labass family played a notable role in the local history of Picardy during the medieval period. In 1489, a certain Jehan Labass was appointed as the mayor of the town of Abbeville, demonstrating the family's prominence in the area.
Over the centuries, the surname underwent several spelling variations, such as Labasse, Labast, and Labat. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal errors in historical records.
One notable figure bearing the surname Labass was Jacques Labass (1602-1674), a French mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and was a member of the prestigious Académie Royale des Sciences.
Another individual of historical importance was Marie-Élisabeth Labass (1718-1792), a French botanist and naturalist. She is recognized for her extensive collection of plant specimens and her contributions to the study of flora in the region of Normandy.
In the 19th century, the Labass name gained prominence in the field of literature with the writer and poet Émile Labass (1832-1901). His works explored themes of rural life and the natural beauty of the French countryside.
The surname also has connections to the world of art, with the painter Henri Labass (1857-1927) being a notable representative. His landscapes and rural scenes captured the essence of the French countryside and were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.
Despite its French origins, the Labass surname can be found in various other countries, likely due to emigration and migration patterns over the centuries. However, its historical roots and earliest recorded instances remain firmly grounded in the northern regions of France.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Labass
Among Census respondents with the surname Labass, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Labass 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 Labass surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 97
- Two or more races6.3% · 7
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Labass
Labass 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
-8 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 13,397 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-22 bearers (-16.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,416 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,852 | 141 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | -8 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 13,397 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -22 bearers (-16.5%) | Down 20,416 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 Labass 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 | #128,249 | #148,665 | -15.9% |
| Count | 133 | 111 | -16.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -25.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Labass bearers went from 133 to 111 (-16.5% change). The surname moved down 20,416 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #148,665.
FAQ
Labass surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Labass?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Labass. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Labass?
Labass ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Labass. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Labass.
Has Labass become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Labass went from 133 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 22 (-16.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Labass?
Among Census respondents with the surname Labass, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.3%) and Black (1.8%). 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 Labass in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Labass appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Two or More Races (6.3%), Black (1.8%). 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 Labass (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 Labass mean?
A French surname derived from the phrase "la basse" meaning "the bass". 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 Labass (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 many people have the surname Labass?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.