NameCensus.

UK surname

Basha

An Albanian surname derived from the Turkish title "pasha" meaning governor or military leader.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Wandsworth and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Basha is 154 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.

1881 census count

-

Modern count

154

2016, ranked #23,293

Peak year

2015

154 bearers

Map years

0

Key insights

  • The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016, ranked #23,293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 12 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Timeline

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Basha over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 4 #32,658
1861 historical 12 #32,329
1891 historical 9 #33,451
1997 modern 40 #33,666
1998 modern 41 #33,747
1999 modern 47 #33,320
2000 modern 57 #32,417
2001 modern 55 #32,482
2002 modern 57 #32,661
2003 modern 59 #32,530
2004 modern 68 #31,880
2005 modern 71 #31,816
2006 modern 79 #31,263
2007 modern 91 #30,061
2008 modern 93 #30,123
2009 modern 106 #28,666
2010 modern 128 #26,036
2011 modern 122 #26,647
2012 modern 136 #24,830
2013 modern 140 #24,779
2014 modern 148 #24,075
2015 modern 154 #23,306
2016 modern 154 #23,293

Geography

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Where Bashas are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, Wandsworth, Bradford, Watford and Barking and Dagenham. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 003 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Wandsworth 033 Wandsworth
3 Bradford 061 Bradford
4 Watford 005 Watford
5 Barking and Dagenham 006 Barking and Dagenham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Basha

These lists show first names that appear often with the Basha surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Basha

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Basha, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Basha surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Basha household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Basha is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Basha is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Basha falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Basha is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Basha, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Basha

The surname Basha is of Albanian origin and can be traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old Albanian word "bash", which means "to unite" or "to gather". This surname was likely given to the founders or leaders of a community or settlement.

In the early 16th century, the name Basha appears in several Ottoman records and documents, particularly in regions of present-day Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. One of the earliest known mentions is in a 1532 tax register from the Sanjak of Scutari (present-day Shkodër), where a certain "Mustafa Basha" is listed as a landowner.

The Basha name gained prominence in the 17th and 18th centuries, when several individuals bearing this surname held important positions within the Ottoman Empire. Notably, Mehmed Basha (1571-1644) was the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1638 to 1644, serving under Sultan Murad IV.

Another notable figure was Mustafa Basha (1624-1686), a military leader and Ottoman governor of Baghdad from 1670 to 1672. He is remembered for his successful defense of the city against a Persian siege in 1671.

In the 19th century, the Basha name was associated with several Albanian nationalist figures. Ismail Qemali Basha (1844-1919) was a prominent leader of the Albanian National Awakening and is considered the founder of modern Albania. He declared the country's independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912.

Another prominent individual was Essad Pasha Basha (1863-1920), an Albanian politician and military leader who played a significant role in the country's struggle for independence and later served as the Prime Minister of Albania in 1914.

The Basha surname is also linked to various place names and historical regions in Albania and the Balkans. For instance, the town of Kruja, known as the "Basha's Stronghold", was the seat of power for several Basha families during the Ottoman period.

Additionally, the name Basha has been associated with various spellings and variations over time, such as Pasha, Pashë, and Pashaj, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences in the regions where it was prevalent.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

Basha surname: questions and answers

How common is the Basha surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016. That gives Basha a modern rank of #23,293.

What does the Basha surname mean?

An Albanian surname derived from the Turkish title "pasha" meaning governor or military leader.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.