Explore the Family Name Besser
The meaning of Besser
German: 1. occupational name for a collector of fines, from Middle High German bezzerære, an agent derivative of bezzern ‘to collect fines’. 2. habitational name from any of various places in Germany named Besser, Bessing, or Bessingen.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Besser in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Besser saw a slight dip in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 15,704th most common surname, but by 2010 it had slipped to 16,157th place, representing a decrease of 2.88 percent. However, the actual count of people with the Besser surname increased by 4.8 percent, from 1,708 in 2000 to 1,790 in 2010. Despite this increase in number, the proportion of people bearing the Besser surname per 100,000 population decreased marginally from 0.63 to 0.61.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #15,704 | #16,157 | -2.88% |
| Count | 1,708 | 1,790 | 4.8% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.63 | 0.61 | -3.17% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Besser
On the ethnic identity front, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the Besser surname has diverse associations. The majority of individuals with this surname identified as White, with proportions of 96.31 percent in 2000 and 94.53 percent in 2010. This represents a small decrease of 1.85 percent. Meanwhile, the number of people identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander rose significantly from 0.35 percent to 0.56 percent during the same period. There was also an increase in the proportion of people identifying as Hispanic (from 2.05 percent to 2.46 percent) and those identifying with two or more races (from 0.94 percent to 1.28 percent). New entries in the 2010 census included those identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native, at 0.67 percent and 0.50 percent respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.31% | 94.53% | -1.85% |
| Hispanic | 2.05% | 2.46% | 20% |
| Two or More Races | 0.94% | 1.28% | 36.17% |
| Black | 0% | 0.67% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.35% | 0.56% | 60% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.5% | 0% |