Explore the Family Name Bessette
The meaning of Bessette
1. French: topographic name designating a small wood of birches, from Occitan bès ‘birch tree’ (see Besse), or a habitational name from (La) Bessette, the name of several places in the southern part of France. 2. Alternatively, an altered form of French Besset: topographic name, a cognate of 1 above. Altered ending reflects the Canadian and American French practice of sounding the final -t. History: Jean Bessette (or Besset) dit Brisetout from Cahors in Lot, France, married Anne Seigneur in QC in 1668. Some characteristic forenames: French Andre, Marcel, Armand, Adrien, Normand, Alphonse, Lucien, Cecile, Herve, Jacques, Laurent, Aime.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bessette in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the Bessette surname has seen a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 6,944 and in 2010, it fell to 7,457, marking a 7.39% drop. However, the total count of people with this surname saw a marginal growth of 0.34%, from 4,454 in 2000 to 4,469 in 2010. The proportion of Bessette per 100,000 people also declined by 7.88% during this decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,944 | #7,457 | -7.39% |
| Count | 4,454 | 4,469 | 0.34% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.65 | 1.52 | -7.88% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bessette
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates some interesting shifts among those bearing the Bessette surname. The largest group remains those identifying as White, although their proportion decreased slightly from 95.42% in 2000 to 94.38% in 2010. Those identifying as Black or Hispanic both saw increases, with the former growing by 61.11% and the latter by 37.61%. The proportion of individuals who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander also rose by 20.00%. Meanwhile, the percentage of people identifying as two or more races increased by 36.17%. There was a decrease, however, in the proportion identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, which fell by 19.33%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.42% | 94.38% | -1.09% |
| Two or More Races | 1.41% | 1.92% | 36.17% |
| Hispanic | 1.17% | 1.61% | 37.61% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.19% | 0.96% | -19.33% |
| Black | 0.36% | 0.58% | 61.11% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.45% | 0.54% | 20% |
Bessette 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 Bessette is British & Irish, which comprises 41.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (32.4%) and Eastern European (7.3%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 41.1% |
| French & German | 32.4% |
| Eastern European | 7.3% |
| Other | 19.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Bessette
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 Bessette have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 78.60% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 78.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 77.80% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 77.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 77.00% |
What Bessette 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 Bessette is R-Z367, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z367 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and R-L21, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Medlin, Covington, Chastain, Blanchette, Hadley, Savoy, Tisdale, Halbert, Wainwright, Swank.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bessette surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Bessette 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.
"Bessette" Surname 40.0%
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.
"Bessette" Surname 34.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bessette" Surname 22.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Cat Allergy
An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.
"Bessette" Surname 31.8%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bessette?
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 Bessette are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition