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Besancon Family History

Besancon Surname Meaning

French (Besançon): habitational name from Besançon in Doubs which is probably named with a Celtiberian element ves ‘mountain’ + the suffix -unt with a further Latin suffix -io (genitive -ionis).

In folk etymology there has been some association of the placename with Old French bison a word denoting the (European) bison which appears in the arms of the city.

Compare Bezanson.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Besancon family from?

You can see how Besancon families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Besancon family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Besancon families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 2 Besancon families living in London. This was 100% of all the recorded Besancon's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Besancon families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Besancon surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Besancon ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Besancon. 24% of Besancon men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Besancon women worked as a Teacher.

View Census Data for Besancon | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    24%
  • Salesman
    20%
  • Carpenter
    20%
  • Laborer
    16%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    100%

What Besancon family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Besancon. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Besancon census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Besancon

Passenger Lists

There are 716 immigration records available for the last name Besancon. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Besancon immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 632 military records available for the last name Besancon. For the veterans among your Besancon ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Besancon military records

You've only scratched the surface of Besancon family history

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What is the average Besancon lifespan?

Between 1958 and 2004, in the United States, Besancon life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1964, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Besancon in 1958 was 51, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Besancon

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Besancon ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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