NameCensus.

UK surname

Basnett

A surname derived from the Old French word "basnait" meaning basket maker.

In the 1881 census there were 375 people recorded with the Basnett surname, ranking it #8,345 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 674, ranked #7,950, up from #8,345 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Runcorn and Prescot. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bury, Darlington and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Basnett is 719 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 79.7%.

1881 census count

375

Ranked #8,345

Modern count

674

2016, ranked #7,950

Peak year

1999

719 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Basnett had 375 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,345 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 674 in 2016, ranked #7,950.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 578 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Basnett surname distribution map

The map shows where the Basnett surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Basnett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Basnett 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 267 #8,342
1861 historical 208 #11,642
1881 historical 375 #8,345
1891 historical 507 #7,349
1901 historical 578 #7,272
1911 historical 578 #7,032
1997 modern 642 #7,729
1998 modern 692 #7,552
1999 modern 719 #7,369
2000 modern 695 #7,531
2001 modern 709 #7,299
2002 modern 713 #7,404
2003 modern 709 #7,301
2004 modern 696 #7,437
2005 modern 674 #7,569
2006 modern 665 #7,678
2007 modern 667 #7,718
2008 modern 670 #7,731
2009 modern 705 #7,603
2010 modern 705 #7,739
2011 modern 686 #7,811
2012 modern 650 #8,072
2013 modern 659 #8,125
2014 modern 671 #8,046
2015 modern 672 #7,973
2016 modern 674 #7,950

Geography

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Where Basnetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Runcorn, Prescot, West Derby and Frodsham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bury, Darlington, Cheshire East, Kirklees and Staffordshire Moorlands. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 Runcorn Cheshire
3 Prescot Lancashire
4 West Derby Lancashire
5 Frodsham Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bury 015 Bury
2 Darlington 014 Darlington
3 Cheshire East 033 Cheshire East
4 Kirklees 059 Kirklees
5 Staffordshire Moorlands 008 Staffordshire Moorlands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Basnett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Basnett

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Basnett, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Basnett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Basnett 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 predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Basnett is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Basnett is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Basnett falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Basnett is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Basnett

The surname Basnett has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "bæsen" or "basan," meaning a basin or bowl, and the suffix "et" or "ette," which indicates a diminutive form. This suggests that the name may have originated as a nickname for someone who made or sold basins or bowls.

Historically, the name has been spelled in various ways, including Basnett, Basnet, Basnet, and Basnette. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, which mentions a "William Basnet." The Hundred Rolls were a survey of landowners in England conducted during the reign of King Edward I.

In the 14th century, the name appears in the Poll Tax records of Yorkshire in 1379, where a "Johannes Basnet" is listed. The Poll Tax was a tax levied on individuals above a certain age, and these records provide valuable insights into the distribution of surnames across different regions during that time.

One notable historical figure with the surname Basnett was Sir Ralph Basnett (c. 1490 - c. 1558), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Warwickshire in 1539 and 1547. He was also appointed as a Justice of the Peace and held various other positions in local government.

Another significant figure was William Basnett (c. 1600 - 1675), an English puritan clergyman and author. He served as the rector of Chedsey in Buckinghamshire and published several works, including "The Sinner's Guide" and "The Confessions of a Sinner."

In the 18th century, John Basnett (1709 - 1789) was a notable English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas. Some of his notable works include St. George's Church in Bloomsbury and the Old Jewry in the City of London.

Moving into the 19th century, we find William Basnett (1803 - 1879), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for West Norfolk from 1857 to 1868. He was also a prominent figure in the development of the railways in England and served as the chairman of the East Anglian Railway Company.

Finally, in the early 20th century, Sir Henry Basnett (1865 - 1940) was a British civil servant and administrator who served as the Governor of British Honduras (now Belize) from 1914 to 1919. He played a significant role in the administration of the colony during the First World War.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Basnett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Basnett surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 150 Basnetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.46x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 150 3.46x
Cheshire 106 13.16x
Staffordshire 37 3.00x
Warwickshire 21 2.28x
Yorkshire 18 0.50x
Middlesex 11 0.30x
Herefordshire 9 6.02x
Shropshire 9 2.86x
Ayrshire 5 1.83x
Essex 5 0.69x
Kent 3 0.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Derby in Lancashire leads with 20 Basnetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.79x.

Place Total Index
West Derby 20 15.79x
Runcorn 17 91.55x
Stoke Upon Trent 17 13.02x
Frodsham Lordship 15 1102.94x
Coventry St Michael 14 47.38x
Manchester 13 6.68x
Denton 11 114.70x
Liverpool 11 4.18x
Toxteth Park 11 7.50x
Little Sutton 10 925.93x
Westhoughton 10 86.58x
Westleigh 10 101.73x
Everton 9 6.52x
Gorton 9 22.12x
Leysters 9 3000.00x
Preston On Hill 9 1285.71x
Wharton 9 205.01x
Birkenhead 8 12.46x
Burnley 8 21.94x
Handsworth 8 26.36x
Weston In Runcorn 8 382.78x
Birmingham 7 2.28x
Acton Grange 6 3000.00x
Ardwick 6 15.36x
Hinstock 6 555.56x
Kingsley 6 400.00x
Lockwood 6 46.12x
Pendleton In Salford 6 11.63x
Tankersley 6 223.05x
Ayr 5 38.79x
Barking 5 23.73x
Rocester 5 326.80x
Sproston 5 2777.78x
Hulme 4 4.43x
Kensington London 4 1.97x
St Pancras London 4 1.36x
Crumpsall 3 29.41x
Kildwick 3 91.19x
Lea By Backford 3 1200.00x
Widnes 3 9.61x
Broughton In Salford 2 5.05x
Didsbury 2 34.78x
Eccleston In Prescot 2 9.20x
Great Budworth 2 139.86x
Haydock 2 26.81x
Leek Lowe 2 12.21x
Stone 2 12.70x
Walton On Hill 2 8.53x
Badsworth 1 370.37x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 3.07x
Blackburn 1 0.87x
Christ Church Newgate 1 58.82x
Church Hulme 1 120.48x
Dalton In Furness 1 5.98x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.04x
Dutton 1 178.57x
Great Sutton 1 238.10x
Haigh 1 66.23x
Halton 1 55.56x
Higher Bebington 1 19.38x
Holbeck 1 4.18x
Holy Trinity 1 1.15x
Leighton 1 270.27x
Lewisham 1 1.51x
Lymm 1 17.09x
Monks Coppenhall 1 3.29x
Moston In Chester 1 5000.00x
Ramsgate 1 4.92x
Rowley Regis 1 2.91x
Shifnal 1 11.68x
Shoreditch London 1 0.63x
Titteworth 1 52.91x
Westminster St Margaret 1 5.68x
Whiston 1 29.59x
Wolverhampton 1 1.06x
Wrockwardine 1 14.43x
Wuerdle Wardle 1 7.61x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Basnett surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 31
Elizabeth 18
Sarah 17
Hannah 11
Ann 10
Alice 9
Ellen 8
Jane 7
Martha 7
Catherine 6
Annie 4
Eliza 4
Harriet 4
Dorothy 3
Emily 3
Emma 3
Esther 2
Isabel 2
Louisa 2
Lydia 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Anna 1
Anne 1
Anny 1
Clara 1
Claribel 1
Do...thy 1
Dora 1
Eleanor 1
Fanney 1
Fanny 1
Felicia 1
Florence 1
Francis 1
Harriot 1
Helena 1
Horace 1
Isabella 1
Lily 1
Lois 1
Margeret 1
Margerett 1
Margret 1
Milly 1
Ophelia 1
Pamela 1
Phoebe 1
Rachell 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Basnett surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 27
William 19
Samuel 16
James 15
Thomas 13
Joseph 11
George 9
Daniel 6
Albert 4
Richard 4
Edwin 3
Ernest 3
Henry 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
Charles 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Rob. 2
Robert 2
Simeon 2
Andrew 1
Benjamin 1
Colin 1
Danl. 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Harold 1
Isaac 1
Jno. 1
Joal 1
Leonard 1
Levi 1
Michael 1
Nathaniel 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Sam 1
W.H. 1
Wifrid 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Basnett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Basnett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 375 people were recorded with the Basnett surname. That placed it at #8,345 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Basnett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 674 in 2016. That gives Basnett a modern rank of #7,950.

What does the Basnett surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French word "basnait" meaning basket maker.

What does the Basnett map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Basnett bearers relative to the surrounding population.

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.