Explore the Family Name Bessell

The meaning of Bessell

1. English (Gloucestershire): from the Middle English personal name Besel(le), which is of uncertain, probably ancient Germanic, origin. 2. German: variant of Bessel and, in North America, (also) an altered form of this.

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

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

Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Bessell's popularity saw a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname dropped by 7.8%, moving from 91,004 in 2000 to 98,099 in 2010. The count of individuals with this surname also dipped slightly from 188 in 2000 to 185 in 2010, representing a decline of 1.6%. Consequently, the proportion of people carrying the Bessell surname per 100,000 decreased by 14.29% over the decade.

20002010Change
Rank#91,004#98,099-7.8%
Count188185-1.6%
Proportion per 100k0.070.06-14.29%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bessell

Regarding the ethnicity associated with the Bessell surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates that it is predominantly linked with the White ethnic identity, despite a small percentage drop from 92.02% in 2000 to 90.27% in 2010. Interestingly, there was a notable increase of 52.35% in individuals identifying with two or more races, rising from 4.26% in 2000 to 6.49% in 2010. However, no data was recorded for the surname Bessell being associated with Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicities in either 2000 or 2010.

20002010Change
White92.02%90.27%-1.9%
Two or More Races4.26%6.49%52.35%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Hispanic0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%