Bessette Family History

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Bessette Name Meaning

French: variant of Besset, from a diminutive of bès ‘birch’, or possibly of French Basset (see Bassette). The ending is not feminine, but reflects the Canadian custom of pronouncing a final -t, which is generally silent in metropolitan French.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Bissette, Bassette, Boulette, Bonnette, Bressette, Bessett, Bissett

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Bessette Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Bessette name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Bessette. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • France

    35%

  • England & Wales

    30%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    17%

  • Germanic Europe

    5%

  • Eastern Europe & Russia

    3%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Bessette Family Origin

Where is the Bessette family from?

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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 1880 there were 28 Bessette families living in Massachusetts. This was about 18% of all the recorded Bessette's in the USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Bessette families in 1880.
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.

View Census Data for Bessette

Bessette Family Occupations

What did your Bessette ancestors do for a living?

In 1880, Laborer, Carpenter and Farmer were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Bessette. A less common occupation for the Bessette family was Works In Cotton Mill. The most common Bessette occupation in the USA was Laborer. 25% of Bessette's were Laborers.

View Census data for Bessette | Data not to scale

  • Laborer

    25%

  • Carpenter

    17%

  • Farmer

    13%

  • Works In Cotton Mill

    8%

Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Bessette ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

Bessette Historical Records

What Bessette family records will you find?

Census Record

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 1940's US census records for Bessette

Passenger List

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 USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Bessette immigration records

Draft Card

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

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Bessette Life Expectancy

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.

Famous Bessette Family Ancestors

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