NameCensus.

UK surname

Bassett

An English locational surname derived from places meaning "Bassa's gate", likely referring to a gate or gap in a hedge.

In the 1881 census there were 4,657 people recorded with the Bassett surname, ranking it #957 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 6,163, ranked #1,097, down from #957 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841). In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, West Lindsey and West Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bassett is 6,664 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.3%.

1881 census count

4,657

Ranked #957

Modern count

6,163

2016, ranked #1,097

Peak year

1999

6,664 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bassett had 4,657 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #957 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 6,163 in 2016, ranked #1,097.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,329 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bassett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bassett surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bassett 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 2,996 #965
1861 historical 2,801 #1,042
1881 historical 4,657 #957
1891 historical 4,802 #966
1901 historical 5,780 #963
1911 historical 6,329 #808
1997 modern 6,390 #1,026
1998 modern 6,642 #1,019
1999 modern 6,664 #1,030
2000 modern 6,645 #1,024
2001 modern 6,455 #1,034
2002 modern 6,556 #1,039
2003 modern 6,356 #1,054
2004 modern 6,369 #1,050
2005 modern 6,197 #1,062
2006 modern 6,202 #1,055
2007 modern 6,220 #1,061
2008 modern 6,210 #1,066
2009 modern 6,340 #1,067
2010 modern 6,451 #1,073
2011 modern 6,385 #1,071
2012 modern 6,154 #1,087
2013 modern 6,256 #1,090
2014 modern 6,264 #1,098
2015 modern 6,179 #1,101
2016 modern 6,163 #1,097

Geography

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Where Bassetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) and Llanelly. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, West Lindsey, West Devon and Rhondda Cynon Taf. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon
4 London parishes London 3
5 Llanelly Carmarthenshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 054 Cornwall
2 West Lindsey 004 West Lindsey
3 Cornwall 071 Cornwall
4 West Devon 005 West Devon
5 Rhondda Cynon Taf 018 Rhondda Cynon Taf

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bassett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bassett

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bassett, 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 Bassett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bassett 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Bassett is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bassett is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bassett falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bassett 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 Bassett, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bassett

The surname Bassett originated in Normandy, France, in the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "bass," meaning "low" or "short," and the diminutive suffix "-et," implying "little." This suggests the name was initially given as a nickname to someone of short stature.

The name is first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this record, several individuals bearing the name Bassett are listed as landowners in various counties of England, indicating that they were among the Norman nobility who accompanied William during the conquest of England in 1066.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Ralph Bassett, who lived in the 11th century and held lands in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Another notable figure was Philip Bassett, a 12th-century nobleman who served as Lord of Weldon and Sheriff of Northamptonshire.

In the 13th century, the Bassett family established themselves as prominent landowners in Devon, where they constructed the imposing Umberleigh Castle. Sir William Bassett (c. 1252-1305) was a respected knight and member of Parliament during the reign of Edward I.

During the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century, John Bassett (c. 1430-1486) fought for the Yorkist cause and was knighted by Edward IV for his loyalty and bravery. His descendant, Arthur Bassett (1541-1586), served as a Member of Parliament and was involved in the colonization of Newfoundland.

In the 17th century, William Bassett (1597-1667) was a prominent Puritan and one of the founders of the New Haven Colony in Connecticut, United States. His grandson, John Bassett (1671-1733), was a successful merchant and served as Deputy Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island.

Other notable individuals with the surname Bassett include Richard Bassett (1735-1815), a signer of the United States Constitution, and Fletcher Bassett (1844-1927), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bassett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bassett 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 557 Bassetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.22x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 557 1.22x
Kent 473 3.04x
Cornwall 457 8.86x
Devon 301 3.17x
Surrey 287 1.29x
Staffordshire 254 1.65x
Warwickshire 247 2.15x
Sussex 237 3.08x
Gloucestershire 215 2.40x
Glamorgan 193 2.43x
Carmarthenshire 145 7.55x
Lancashire 138 0.26x
Leicestershire 132 2.61x
Essex 118 1.31x
Yorkshire 94 0.21x
Hampshire 88 0.94x
Northamptonshire 71 1.66x
Norfolk 63 0.90x
Lincolnshire 54 0.74x
Oxfordshire 48 1.71x
Herefordshire 47 2.51x
Durham 41 0.30x
Worcestershire 38 0.64x
Monmouthshire 37 1.12x
Somerset 33 0.45x
Suffolk 32 0.58x
Denbighshire 27 1.57x
Cambridgeshire 24 0.83x
Bedfordshire 22 0.93x
Cheshire 22 0.22x
Derbyshire 21 0.29x
Wiltshire 17 0.42x
Berkshire 16 0.47x
Channel Islands 15 1.11x
Buckinghamshire 14 0.51x
Dorset 13 0.43x
Nottinghamshire 11 0.18x
Shropshire 9 0.23x
Renfrewshire 8 0.23x
Huntingdonshire 7 0.77x
Northumberland 7 0.10x
Berwickshire 6 1.09x
Pembrokeshire 6 0.41x
Cumberland 5 0.13x
Midlothian 5 0.08x
Royal Navy 5 0.92x
Hertfordshire 4 0.13x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.11x
Westmorland 2 0.20x
Flintshire 1 0.08x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.15x
Lanarkshire 1 0.01x
Peeblesshire 1 0.47x
Radnorshire 1 0.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Llanelly in Carmarthenshire leads with 131 Bassetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.27x.

Place Total Index
Llanelly 131 30.27x
Birmingham 85 2.22x
Aston 80 2.53x
St Marylebone London 74 3.04x
Islington London 71 1.61x
Tonbridge 67 11.94x
St Pancras London 66 1.80x
Stroud 64 36.79x
Deptford St Paul 62 5.17x
Camberwell 57 1.96x
Lambeth 51 1.28x
Brighton 46 2.97x
Stoke Damerel 46 6.93x
Bethnal Green London 43 2.17x
Helston 42 78.29x
Hackney London 39 1.53x
Plymouth St Andrew 37 5.06x
Randwick 37 209.99x
Kensington London 35 1.38x
West Ham 34 1.71x
Rotherfield 32 47.29x
Wolverhampton 32 2.70x
Frant 29 53.25x
Cheltenham 26 3.77x
Margate St John Baptist 26 9.13x
Ystradyfodwg 26 3.73x
Croydon 25 2.03x
Ightham 25 127.88x
Leicester St Margaret 25 2.03x
Battersea 24 1.43x
Wimbish 24 180.72x
Swansea Town 23 3.53x
Chailey 22 92.40x
Madron Penzance 22 11.72x
St Stephen 22 120.22x
St Austell 21 11.90x
Stoke Upon Trent 21 1.29x
Bermondsey 20 1.47x
Hampstead London 20 2.82x
Newington 20 1.19x
St Enoder 20 114.03x
Dartford 19 11.95x
Streatham 19 5.62x
Falmouth 18 9.85x
Greenwich 18 2.48x
Portsea 18 0.98x
St Mary Magdalene 18 47.46x
Braunton 17 52.83x
Mildenhall 17 28.81x
Tewkesbury 17 21.31x
Beckenham 16 7.87x
Denbigh 16 23.15x
Fulham London 16 2.42x
Mevagissey 16 46.65x
Pendoylan 16 260.16x
Saffron Walden 16 16.83x
St Ives 16 15.84x
Liverpool 15 0.46x
Plymouth Charles The 15 3.59x
Stone 15 7.62x
Darlaston 14 6.58x
Kings Norton 14 2.62x
Kingsbury 14 56.93x
Lichfield St Mary 14 31.55x
Llanwonno 14 4.91x
Newton In Makerfield 14 8.45x
Polesworth 14 25.65x
St George Hanover Square 14 1.74x
St Helier 14 3.18x
Ashwater 13 96.65x
Higham 13 61.90x
Hinckley 13 10.84x
Lewisham 13 1.57x
Mayfield 13 28.60x
South Stoneham 13 6.41x
Barnsley 12 2.58x
Chatham 12 2.80x
Kilkhampton 12 78.90x
Leominster 12 15.51x
St Germans 12 33.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 326
Elizabeth 171
Sarah 123
Jane 102
Ann 100
Eliza 91
Emma 91
Annie 70
Emily 64
Ellen 52
Alice 50
Catherine 44
Hannah 40
Edith 34
Harriett 34
Margaret 33
Caroline 31
Martha 31
Louisa 30
Florence 28
Lucy 27
Anne 26
Charlotte 25
Kate 23
Susan 23
Harriet 22
Maria 22
Ada 19
Amelia 19
Frances 18
Clara 17
Fanny 17
Julia 17
Matilda 17
Eleanor 13
Esther 13
Rose 12
Grace 11
Jessie 11
Lydia 11
Rebecca 10
Amy 9
Bessie 9
Selina 9
Susannah 9
Isabella 8
Laura 8
Lizzie 8
Minnie 8
Rosa 8

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 329
John 281
Thomas 149
George 147
James 143
Charles 108
Henry 103
Richard 64
Joseph 58
Samuel 51
Edward 50
Alfred 49
Frederick 48
Robert 43
Walter 41
David 40
Albert 35
Arthur 35
Francis 23
Benjamin 22
Ernest 22
Harry 21
Herbert 19
Frank 18
Daniel 17
Stephen 15
Wm. 15
Edwin 12
Thos. 8
Isaac 7
Christopher 6
Fred 6
Peter 6
Ralph 6
Caleb 5
Chas. 5
Geo. 5
Horace 5
Sydney 5
Anthony 4
Job 4
Percy 4
Sidney 4
Tom 4
W. 4
Willie 4
Amos 3
Edmund 3
Philip 3
Phillip 3

FAQ

Bassett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bassett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,657 people were recorded with the Bassett surname. That placed it at #957 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bassett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 6,163 in 2016. That gives Bassett a modern rank of #1,097.

What does the Bassett surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from places meaning "Bassa's gate", likely referring to a gate or gap in a hedge.

What does the Bassett map show?

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