Explore the Family Name Bass
The meaning of Bass
1. English: from Middle English bas(e), bass, Old French bas(se) ‘low, short’ (from Latin bassus ‘thickset’, i.e. wide as opposed to tall), either a descriptive nickname for a short person or a status name meaning ‘of humble origin’, not necessarily with derogatory connotations. 2. English: from the Middle English personal name Bas(s)e. This could be an Old French form of ancient Germanic Baso (perhaps meaning ‘purple’) or more commonly a pet form of Middle English and Old French Basile or Basily, used of men and women alike. Compare Basley and Basil. 3. English: in some instances, from Middle English bærs, bas ‘freshwater perch, bass or any of various related or similar fish, such as the sea bass’, hence a nickname for a person supposedly resembling this fish, or a metonymic occupational name for a fish seller or fisherman. 4. Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): variant of Bas. 5. German: variant of Basse. 6. French (mainly Alsace): variant of Bas ‘short, of low stature’, or a surname of German origin (see 5 above).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bass in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Bass' slightly declined over a decade. In 2000, Bass was ranked as the 559th most common surname in the United States, but by 2010 it had dropped to the 589th position - a change of approximately -5.37%. Despite the decline in rank, the number of individuals with this surname actually increased from 54,296 in 2000 to 57,044 in 2010 - an increase of about 5.06%. The proportion of people named Bass per 100k population also decreased by about -3.92%, from 20.13 in 2000 to 19.34 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #559 | #589 | -5.37% |
| Count | 54,296 | 57,044 | 5.06% |
| Proportion per 100k | 20.13 | 19.34 | -3.92% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bass
The distribution of the ethnic identity among those with the surname 'Bass' also saw changes between 2000 and 2010, based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of Bass's identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Hispanic, Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native all increased, while the proportion identifying as White decreased. Specifically, the percentage of Bass's identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 25.64%, Two or more races by 31.25%, Hispanic by 63.86%, Black by 3.33% and American Indian and Alaskan Native by 22.22%. Meanwhile, the proportion of Bass's identifying as White decreased by -3.68% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 71.82% | 69.18% | -3.68% |
| Black | 23.74% | 24.53% | 3.33% |
| Hispanic | 1.66% | 2.72% | 63.86% |
| Two or More Races | 1.76% | 2.31% | 31.25% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.63% | 0.77% | 22.22% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.39% | 0.49% | 25.64% |
Bass 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 Bass is British & Irish, which comprises 50.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.2%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (7.4%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Scandinavian, Eastern European, Italian, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 50.9% |
| French & German | 18.2% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 7.4% |
| Other | 23.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Bass
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 Bass have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 79.20% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 79.20% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 78.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 78.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 78.60% |
What Bass 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 Bass is A1a-M31, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup A1a-M31 is descended from haplogroup A. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-Z282, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Reinhart, Taylor, Robinson, Thompson, Smith, James, Brown, Thomas, Price, Cooper.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bass surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins A
Your paternal lineage may be linked to ancient West Africans
While men carrying haplogroup A are generally most common in the east and the south, this lineage stems from a branch that can be found in West Africa. At between 140,000 and 160,000 years old, haplogroup A1a-M31 is extremely ancient and relatively rare. Men who belong to this lineage have been found in Morocco, Niger, Mali, Guinea Bissau, Senegal, and The Gambia. They belong to several ethnic groups, including but not limited to the nomadic Berber and Tuareg in the north, and the Mandenka and Balanta along the western edge of the continent.
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.
What do people with the surname Bass 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
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Bass" Surname 42.5%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Bass" Surname 27.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bass" Surname 23.2%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Bass" Surname 18.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bass?
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 Bass are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition