NameCensus.

UK surname

Bassam

A surname derived from the Arabic masculine given name.

In the 1881 census there were 98 people recorded with the Bassam surname, ranking it #19,999 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 135, ranked #25,505, down from #19,999 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hartlepool, Fenland and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bassam is 158 in 2009. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.8%.

1881 census count

98

Ranked #19,999

Modern count

135

2016, ranked #25,505

Peak year

2009

158 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bassam had 98 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,999 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 135 in 2016, ranked #25,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 145 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bassam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bassam surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bassam 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 38 #26,502
1861 historical 72 #24,643
1881 historical 98 #19,999
1891 historical 91 #25,239
1901 historical 120 #20,545
1911 historical 145 #18,255
1997 modern 144 #21,660
1998 modern 138 #22,814
1999 modern 131 #23,709
2000 modern 137 #23,048
2001 modern 135 #22,945
2002 modern 138 #23,094
2003 modern 143 #22,367
2004 modern 140 #22,793
2005 modern 131 #23,737
2006 modern 132 #23,834
2007 modern 137 #23,590
2008 modern 149 #22,530
2009 modern 158 #22,168
2010 modern 150 #23,482
2011 modern 142 #24,182
2012 modern 126 #26,148
2013 modern 134 #25,525
2014 modern 133 #25,851
2015 modern 136 #25,352
2016 modern 135 #25,505

Geography

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Where Bassams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, St Marylebone, Stranton and Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hartlepool, Fenland and Northumberland. 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 London parishes London 3
2 St Pancras London (North Districts)
3 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
4 Stranton Durham
5 Gillingham, Grange, Lidsing Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hartlepool 007 Hartlepool
2 Fenland 006 Fenland
3 Hartlepool 003 Hartlepool
4 Fenland 008 Fenland
5 Northumberland 026 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bassam

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bassam

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Bassam surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bassam 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Bassam 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

Bassam 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

Bassam 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 Bassam 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 Bassam, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bassam

The surname BASSAM has its origins in the Arabic world, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in regions that are now part of modern-day Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The name is derived from the Arabic word "basim," which means "smiling" or "cheerful." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone with a pleasant or cheerful demeanor.

Some historians believe that the name BASSAM first appeared in written records during the 8th century, although concrete evidence is scarce. It is possible that the name was mentioned in early Islamic manuscripts or documents from that period, but many of these records have been lost or damaged over time.

One of the earliest known references to the name BASSAM can be found in a 12th-century Arabic manuscript that documented the travels of a merchant named Bassam ibn Khalid al-Najdi. Al-Najdi, born in 1125 in the city of Najd (now part of Saudi Arabia), was a renowned trader who traveled extensively throughout the Middle East and parts of North Africa.

In the 14th century, a Sufi mystic and poet named Bassam al-Din al-Fakhri gained prominence in the region now known as Syria. Al-Fakhri, born in 1310 in Damascus, was widely acclaimed for his spiritual teachings and poetic works, which explored themes of love, devotion, and the divine.

Another notable figure with the surname BASSAM was Bassam Pasha al-Naqib, a 16th-century Ottoman statesman and military leader. Al-Naqib, born in 1520 in present-day Turkey, served as governor of several provinces within the Ottoman Empire and was renowned for his military campaigns against the Safavid Empire (now Iran).

In the 19th century, a prominent Egyptian scholar and historian named Bassam Abdel Rahman al-Jabarti made significant contributions to the study of Islamic history and culture. Al-Jabarti, born in 1788 in Cairo, authored several works that documented the French invasion of Egypt and the subsequent rise of Muhammad Ali Pasha's dynasty.

While the surname BASSAM has its roots in the Arab world, it has since spread to various parts of the globe due to migration and cultural exchange. However, many of the earliest and most notable bearers of this name can be traced back to the Middle East and the rich cultural heritage of the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bassam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bassam 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. Middlesex leads with 31 Bassams recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.21x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 31 3.21x
Essex 20 10.49x
Norfolk 12 8.08x
Kent 9 2.73x
Yorkshire 9 0.94x
Northumberland 6 4.18x
Staffordshire 4 1.23x
Sussex 3 1.84x
Devon 2 1.00x
Surrey 2 0.43x
Royal Navy 1 8.69x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 17 Bassams recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.87x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 17 21.87x
Shenfield 8 1632.65x
Shipdham 7 1400.00x
Tottenham 7 45.51x
West Ham 7 16.64x
Elswick 6 52.31x
Gristhorpe Newbiggin 6 8571.43x
Maidstone 4 40.77x
Poplar London 4 21.95x
Rockland All Sts 4 4444.44x
Rowley Regis 4 44.05x
Eastbourne 3 40.05x
Eskdaleside 3 638.30x
Wethersfield 3 625.00x
Plymstock 2 190.48x
Bromley 1 19.92x
Croydon 1 3.83x
Deptford St Paul 1 3.94x
Gillingham 1 14.73x
Hackney London 1 1.85x
Minster In Sheppey 1 18.32x
New Buckenham 1 555.56x
Rochester Castle 1 2500.00x
Romford 1 33.22x
Royal Navy 1 10.16x
Shoreditch London 1 2.39x
Southwark St John 1 33.90x
St Giles Cripplegate 1 78.13x
Upminster 1 250.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Mary 6
Alice 4
Emma 4
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Fanny 2
Maria 2
Matilda 2
Adelaide 1
Amie 1
Annie 1
Blanche 1
Cecilia 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Ellen 1
Emiline 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Jane 1
Jessie 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Paliner 1
Pheabe 1
Rhoda 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Edward 6
William 5
John 4
James 3
Thomas 3
George 2
Samuel 2
Walter 2
Alford 1
Arther 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Harold 1
Henry 1
Hy. 1
Joseph 1
Leveson 1
Lucas 1
Robert 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Bassam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bassam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 98 people were recorded with the Bassam surname. That placed it at #19,999 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bassam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 135 in 2016. That gives Bassam a modern rank of #25,505.

What does the Bassam surname mean?

A surname derived from the Arabic masculine given name.

What does the Bassam map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bassam 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.