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Bessey Family History

Bessey Surname Meaning

English (Norfolk and Suffolk): perhaps a variant of Bussey.

French: habitational name from any of the places in Côte-d'Or and Loire named Bessey from the Gallo-Roman estate Bassiacum

from the Roman personal name Bassius + the locative suffix -acum.

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


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Where is the Bessey family from?

You can see how Bessey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bessey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bessey families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 94 Bessey families living in Norfolk. This was about 44% of all the recorded Bessey's in United Kingdom. Norfolk had the highest population of Bessey families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bessey 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 Bessey ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Bessey. 34% of Bessey men worked as a General Labourer and 76% of Bessey women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bessey were Asst Secty Nfk Education and Shop Assistant.

View Census Data for Bessey | 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.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    34%
  • Assist Fryer Fish chip Shop
    17%
  • Farm Labourer
    17%
  • Asst Secty Nfk Education
    17%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    76%
  • Housewife
    7%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    5%
  • Shop Assistant
    5%

What Bessey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 12,000 census records available for the last name Bessey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bessey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bessey

Passenger Lists

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

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Bessey. For the veterans among your Bessey ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bessey military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bessey family history

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What is the average Bessey lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Bessey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1960, and highest in 1967. The average life expectancy for Bessey in 1960 was 45, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bessey

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bessey 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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