Bassey
Bassey is a common surname and given name of Efik and Ibibio origin, two ethnic groups in Southern Nigeria. It is an anglicisation of their word for God, Abasi, though in pre-colonial times Abasi was the leader of a pantheon as opposed to the Abrahamic God. Notable people with the name include:
Meaning & Origin of Bassey
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Bassey is a common surname and given name of Efik and Ibibio origin, two ethnic groups in Southern Nigeria. It is an anglicisation of their word for God, Abasi, though in pre-colonial times Abasi was the leader of a pantheon as opposed to the Abrahamic God. Notable people with the name include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Bassey
The earliest SSA record of Bassey as a baby boy name dates back to 1976, when 5 babies received it. 1976 was its biggest year on record, with 5 newborns named Bassey — #5,587 in the national rankings. About 50% of every Bassey on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. Bassey last appeared in the published SSA data in 1986, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 10 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Bassey
Phonetically similar names — useful when Bassey is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bassey
What does the name Bassey mean?
How popular is Bassey in 2026?
When was Bassey most popular?
Is Bassey a unisex name?
What names go well with Bassey?
About the name Bassey
Bassey is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1976 and has accumulated 10 births in the dataset. Bassey's peak popularity came in 1976 when it ranked #5,587. Use the chart and map above to compare Bassey's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1976 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.