Explore the Family Name Besson
The meaning of Besson
1. French (southern): nickname from Occitan besson ‘twin’ (a derivative of Latin bis ‘twice’). It is also found in England, as a surname of Huguenot origin. 2. French: habitational name from (Le) Besson, the name of several places mainly in the southern part of France. 3. Altered form of French Bisson. Compare Beson 2 and Besso 1. 4. English: variant of Beaston. History: Jean Besson from Pierrefort in Cantal, France, married Louise-Charlotte Lépine in Quebec City, QC, in 1741. Some characteristic forenames: French Celine, Dominique, Frederique, Joffre, Marcel, Stephane.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Besson in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Besson saw a decline in popularity from 2000 to 2010. Ranked 25,547th in 2000, it fell to the 27,918th spot in 2010, representing a decrease of approximately 9.28%. The count of people with the Besson surname also dropped during this period, going from 908 individuals in 2000 to 859 in 2010, a decrease of about 5.4%. The proportion of people named Besson per 100,000 also decreased by 14.71%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #25,547 | #27,918 | -9.28% |
| Count | 908 | 859 | -5.4% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.34 | 0.29 | -14.71% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Besson
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some shifts among people with the surname Besson between 2000 and 2010. While the majority identified as White (84.36% in 2000, decreasing slightly to 82.54% in 2010), there were increases seen in those identifying as Black (from 8.92% to 9.90%) and those identifying with two or more races (from 2.75% to 2.91%). The percentage of those identifying as Hispanic remained fairly stable at just over 3%. Interestingly, no Bessons identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2000, but by 2010, 0.70% and 0.81% did, respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.36% | 82.54% | -2.16% |
| Black | 8.92% | 9.9% | 10.99% |
| Hispanic | 3.08% | 3.14% | 1.95% |
| Two or More Races | 2.75% | 2.91% | 5.82% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.81% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0.7% | 0% |