Explore the Family Name Bessard
The meaning of Bessard
1. Altered form of French Bisard. 2. French: nickname or occupational name derived from besse ‘spade’. Alternatively, perhaps a topographic name derived from Occitan bès ‘birch tree’ (see Besse).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bessard in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Bessard saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The ranking of the name fell by approximately 0.85%, from 55,971 in 2000 to 56,444 in 2010. However, the total count of individuals with this surname increased by about 5.85% over the same decade, from 342 to 362. As a proportion per 100,000 people, the prevalence of Bessard decreased by 7.69%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #55,971 | #56,444 | -0.85% |
| Count | 342 | 362 | 5.85% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.13 | 0.12 | -7.69% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bessard
In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the majority of individuals with the surname Bessard identify as Black, although this percentage decreased slightly from 93.27% in 2000 to 91.16% in 2010. The percentage identifying as White increased by 7.80%, while the category of two or more races saw a considerable increase from 2.34% in 2000 to 5.25% in 2010. There was no representation of Bessards within the Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native categories during either census year. The Hispanic representation dropped to zero in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 93.27% | 91.16% | -2.26% |
| Two or More Races | 2.34% | 5.25% | 124.36% |
| White | 2.05% | 2.21% | 7.8% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 1.75% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |