NameCensus.

UK surname

Bessant

A surname derived from the Old French word "besant" meaning a gold coin.

In the 1881 census there were 598 people recorded with the Bessant surname, ranking it #5,850 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,094, ranked #5,359, up from #5,850 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and Eling. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rhondda Cynon Taf, North Somerset and Southampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bessant is 1,151 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 82.9%.

1881 census count

598

Ranked #5,850

Modern count

1,094

2016, ranked #5,359

Peak year

1999

1,151 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bessant had 598 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,850 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,094 in 2016, ranked #5,359.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,019 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Bessant surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bessant surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bessant 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 390 #6,155
1861 historical 385 #6,655
1881 historical 598 #5,850
1891 historical 590 #6,478
1901 historical 869 #5,268
1911 historical 1,019 #4,478
1997 modern 1,100 #5,065
1998 modern 1,144 #5,087
1999 modern 1,151 #5,107
2000 modern 1,125 #5,175
2001 modern 1,107 #5,142
2002 modern 1,125 #5,192
2003 modern 1,090 #5,218
2004 modern 1,098 #5,192
2005 modern 1,046 #5,353
2006 modern 1,020 #5,469
2007 modern 1,032 #5,468
2008 modern 1,046 #5,443
2009 modern 1,097 #5,334
2010 modern 1,118 #5,362
2011 modern 1,110 #5,331
2012 modern 1,097 #5,303
2013 modern 1,111 #5,330
2014 modern 1,120 #5,318
2015 modern 1,101 #5,345
2016 modern 1,094 #5,359

Geography

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Where Bessants are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Eling, Millbrook and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rhondda Cynon Taf, North Somerset and Southampton. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 Eling Hampshire
4 Millbrook Hampshire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rhondda Cynon Taf 018 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2 North Somerset 010 North Somerset
3 North Somerset 001 North Somerset
4 Southampton 032 Southampton
5 North Somerset 007 North Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bessant

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bessant

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Bessant surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bessant household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bessant 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

Bessant is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bessant falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Bessant

The surname Bessant finds its origins in France, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "besant," which referred to a gold Byzantine coin used during the Crusades. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals involved in trade or finance.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bessant can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a "Willelmus Besant" holding land in Lincolnshire, indicating that the name had already spread from France to England by the late 11th century.

During the 13th century, the name Bessant appeared in various records across England, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273 and the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. These records often listed individuals with the name holding lands or properties in counties such as Suffolk, Hertfordshire, and Oxfordshire.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name Bessant was Sir William Bessant, a knight from Oxfordshire who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was born around 1320 and is recorded as participating in the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and the Siege of Calais in 1347.

Another prominent individual with the surname Bessant was Sir Robert Bessant, a merchant and alderman in the City of London during the 15th century. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1471 and was known for his philanthropic efforts, including the establishment of almshouses for the poor.

The name Bessant also has connections to various place names in England, such as Bessant Manor in Oxfordshire and Bessant's Green in Essex. These place names likely derived from individuals with the Bessant surname who owned or resided in those areas.

Throughout history, variations in spelling have been common, with the name appearing as Besant, Bessante, and Bessaunt, among others. This diversity in spellings reflects the evolution of the name over time and across different regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bessant families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bessant 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. Hampshire leads with 244 Bessants recorded in 1881 and an index of 20.37x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 244 20.37x
Somerset 102 10.84x
Dorset 39 10.17x
Surrey 36 1.26x
Monmouthshire 32 7.58x
Gloucestershire 26 2.27x
Glamorgan 20 1.97x
Middlesex 17 0.29x
Yorkshire 12 0.21x
Wiltshire 11 2.13x
Kent 10 0.50x
Staffordshire 9 0.46x
Warwickshire 7 0.48x
Essex 5 0.43x
Durham 4 0.23x
Hertfordshire 4 0.99x
Lincolnshire 4 0.43x
Oxfordshire 4 1.11x
Devon 3 0.25x
Northamptonshire 3 0.55x
Cheshire 2 0.16x
Montgomeryshire 2 1.49x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.28x
Lancashire 1 0.01x
Sussex 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Eling in Hampshire leads with 63 Bessants recorded in 1881 and an index of 519.37x.

Place Total Index
Eling 63 519.37x
Portishead 39 557.94x
Southampton St Mary 26 34.52x
Millbrook 25 82.89x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 21 100.14x
Weston In Gordano 17 4722.22x
South Stoneham 15 57.74x
Hampreston 14 501.79x
Southampton All Sts 14 68.13x
St Woollos 14 29.70x
Portbury 13 828.03x
Milton 12 402.68x
Wimborne Minster 12 193.55x
Aberystruth 10 26.86x
Aldershot 10 24.93x
Cheddar 9 190.27x
Newington 9 4.17x
Christchurch 8 30.80x
Clapton 8 2051.28x
Easton In Gordano 8 211.08x
Holdenhurst 8 25.47x
Northwood 8 46.92x
Aston 7 1.73x
Linthorpe 7 20.26x
Llanwonno 7 19.15x
Ryde 7 27.21x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 5.95x
Woolland 7 2916.67x
Itchen Abbas 6 1132.08x
Romsey Extra 6 84.27x
St John Near Swansea 6 47.69x
Barnes 5 41.53x
Camberwell 5 1.34x
Lambeth 5 0.98x
Merthyr Tydfil 5 5.11x
Middlesbrough 5 6.63x
Mynyddyslwyn 5 30.01x
Wanstead 5 24.75x
Bushey 4 41.71x
Cadney 4 444.44x
Escomb 4 50.06x
Great Barr 4 176.99x
Oxford St Giles 4 23.24x
Poplar London 4 3.63x
Portsea 4 1.70x
Rodbourne Cheney 4 100.25x
Walsall Foreign 4 3.93x
Bishops Cannings 3 157.07x
Cheriton 3 36.90x
Clapham 3 4.11x
Fareham 3 20.85x
Great Badminton 3 306.12x
Michelmersh 3 129.31x
Northampton Priory St 3 9.10x
Portsmouth 3 10.88x
Sopley 3 181.82x
South Hayling 3 140.85x
Twickenham 3 11.98x
Brading 2 12.56x
Burley 2 157.48x
Caldicot 2 71.43x
Folkestone 2 5.17x
Gillingham 2 4.87x
Llanmerewig 2 317.46x
Llantrisant 2 7.80x
Ringwood 2 26.11x
Shanklin 2 56.02x
St George Hanover Square 2 1.94x
St Pancras London 2 0.43x
Stoke Damerel 2 2.35x
Sturminster 2 53.76x
Titchfield 2 22.15x
Weston Super Mare 2 8.42x
Hackney London 1 0.31x
Lee 1 3.45x
Malmesbury St Paul 1 22.52x
St Marylebone London 1 0.32x
Tonbridge 1 1.39x
Walton In Gordano 1 100.00x
Wootton Bassett 1 22.27x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 33
Elizabeth 22
Sarah 20
Annie 14
Alice 12
Louisa 11
Ellen 10
Emily 10
Ann 9
Eliza 8
Jane 7
Martha 7
Emma 6
Edith 5
Hannah 5
Caroline 4
Charlotte 4
Ada 3
Amelia 3
Constance 3
Esther 3
Harriet 3
Matilda 3
Rose 3
Agnes 2
Anne 2
Beatrice 2
Bertha 2
Florence 2
Harriett 2
Kate 2
Lydia 2
Maria 2
Maud 2
Rachel 2
Rosa 2
Adelaide 1
Amy 1
Anny 1
Bellie 1
Elizth. 1
Ellener 1
Emelia 1
Helen 1
Heneretta 1
Isabelle 1
J.G. 1
Jemima 1
Julia 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 39
George 28
John 23
Henry 22
Charles 20
James 15
Frederick 13
Thomas 13
Alfred 11
Joseph 11
Arthur 10
Richard 8
Edward 6
Robert 6
Albert 5
Ernest 5
Frank 5
Fred 4
Harry 4
Herbert 4
Samuel 4
Tom 4
Chas. 3
Daniel 3
Edwin 3
Infant 3
Mark 3
Sydney 3
Walter 3
Fredrick 2
Isaac 2
Moses 2
Sam 2
Vincent 2
Wm. 2
Alick 1
Anthony 1
Benjamin 1
Charlie 1
Clement 1
Esau 1
F.A. 1
Francis 1
Gilbert 1
Levi 1
Lewis 1
Luke 1
Margaret 1
Ralph 1
Richd.Wm. 1

FAQ

Bessant surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bessant surname in 1881?

In 1881, 598 people were recorded with the Bessant surname. That placed it at #5,850 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bessant surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,094 in 2016. That gives Bessant a modern rank of #5,359.

What does the Bessant surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French word "besant" meaning a gold coin.

What does the Bessant map show?

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