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Bessette Family History

Bessette Surname Meaning

French: topographic name designating a small wood of birches from Occitan bès ‘birch tree’ (see Besse) or a habitational name from (La) Bessette the name of several places in the southern part of France.

Alternatively, an altered form of French Besset: topographic name a cognate of 1 above.

Altered ending reflects the Canadian and American French practice of sounding the final -t.

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


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Where is the Bessette family from?

You can see how Bessette families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bessette family name was found in the USA, and Canada between 1880 and 1920. The most Bessette families were found in Canada in 1911. In 1911 there were 603 Bessette families living in Quebec. This was about 92% of all the recorded Bessette's in Canada. Quebec had the highest population of Bessette families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bessette 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 Bessette ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Bessette. 20% of Bessette men worked as a Laborer and 12% of Bessette women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bessette were Clerk and Housework.

View Census Data for Bessette | 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

  • Laborer
    20%
  • Farmer
    7%
  • Truck Driver
    6%
  • Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housekeeper
    12%
  • Maid
    8%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Housework
    7%

What Bessette family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 25,000 census records available for the last name Bessette. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bessette census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bessette

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Bessette. 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 Bessette immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Bessette. For the veterans among your Bessette ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bessette military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bessette family history

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What is the average Bessette lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Bessette life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Bessette in 1946 was 35, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bessette

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bessette 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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