Explore the Family Name Basham

The meaning of Basham

English (Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex): variant of Barsham, a habitational name from any of the places in Norfolk and Suffolk called Barsham, from the genitive case of the Old English byname Bār ‘wild boar’ + Old English hām ‘homestead’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Basham in the United States?

According to the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Basham saw a slight decrease in rank from 2000 to 2010, moving from 3779 to 4036, indicating a lower frequency among surnames in the United States. Despite this, the count of individuals with the Basham surname increased by 2.35% during the same period, from 8604 to 8806. The proportion per 100,000 people also decreased slightly from 3.19 to 2.99.

20002010Change
Rank#3,779#4,036-6.8%
Count8,6048,8062.35%
Proportion per 100k3.192.99-6.27%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Basham

The ethnic identity associated with the Basham surname also experienced changes between 2000 and 2010, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. The majority identified as White, though the percentage decreased slightly from 93.04% to 91.94%. The percentage identifying as Hispanic saw a significant increase from 1.99% to 2.79%, while those identifying as Black also increased, from 2.57% to 2.98%. The percentages for Asian/Pacific Islander and Two or more races remained relatively stable, with only minor fluctuations. Meanwhile, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw a decrease from 0.45% to 0.35%.

20002010Change
White93.04%91.94%-1.18%
Black2.57%2.98%15.95%
Hispanic1.99%2.79%40.2%
Two or More Races1.53%1.51%-1.31%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.42%0.43%2.38%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.45%0.35%-22.22%

Basham ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Basham is British & Irish, which comprises 59.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (27.3%) and Scandinavian (2.8%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish59.4%
French & German27.3%
Scandinavian2.8%
Other10.5%
Basham

Possible origins of the surname Basham

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Basham have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Glasgow City, United Kingdom95.00%
West Midlands, United Kingdom95.00%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom95.00%
Greater London, United Kingdom95.00%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom94.40%

What Basham haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Basham is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z198 and R-L51, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Thibault, Penrod, Ingalls, Tarrant, Glidden, Nation, Kehoe, Dupree, Larrabee, Keener.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Basham surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

bashamPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Basham have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Basham

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Basham" Surname 44.1%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Basham

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Basham" Surname 26.0%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Basham

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Basham" Surname 23.3%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Basham

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Basham" Surname 15.0%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Basham?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Basham are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%