Explore the Family Name Bissett

The meaning of Bissett

1. Scottish (of Norman origin): nickname from Old French biset ‘dark’, a diminutive of bis (see Biss). 2. Altered form of French Bizet: nickname for someone with a dark complexion, derived from bis ‘grayish-brown’. Altered ending reflects the Canadian and American French practice of sounding the final -t. Compare Bissette. History: The surname Bissett (see 1 above) was brought to Scotland from Nottinghamshire c.1175 by Henricus Byset, an Englishman who became a retainer of King William the Lion. — It was Jean George Bizet from Haute-Saône, France, whose surname was changed to Bissett (see 2 above) after his immigration to NS, Canada, in 1752.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Bissett" experienced a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the name fell from 12,064 in 2000 to 13,065 in 2010, illustrating a decrease of 8.3 percent. The count of individuals with this surname also decreased marginally by about 0.97 percent, from 2,373 to 2,350 during the same period. Consequently, the proportion of people with the "Bissett" surname per 100,000 decreased by 9.09 percent.

20002010Change
Rank#12,064#13,065-8.3%
Count2,3732,350-0.97%
Proportion per 100k0.880.8-9.09%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bissett

The ethnic identity associated with the surname "Bissett" saw some changes between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of Asian/Pacific Islander and those identifying as two or more races increased by 30.51 and 26.27 percent respectively. Similarly, the Hispanic representation within the "Bissett" surname rose by 30.64 percent. However, there was a slight decrease in the percentage of Whites, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native populations. The proportion of Whites declined by 0.86 percent, while the Black representation fell by 4.76 percent. The American Indian and Alaskan Native population saw the most significant drop at 18.18 percent.

20002010Change
White94.99%94.17%-0.86%
Hispanic1.73%2.26%30.64%
Two or More Races1.18%1.49%26.27%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.59%0.77%30.51%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.88%0.72%-18.18%
Black0.63%0.6%-4.76%