Burgin
A French masculine name likely related to Burgundy or its people.
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Burgin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Burgin today is around 130 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Burgin births was 1935 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Burgin. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Burgin is about 130 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Burgins were born before 1906.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Burgin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1935
6 babies that year
Average age
130
years old
1935 SSA rank
#3,304
Tracked since 1924
Popularity
Burgin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Burgin from the 1920s through to the 1930s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Burgin by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Burgin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Burgin
The name Burgin is believed to have originated in the Germanic language family, specifically from the Old Norse word "byrgin," which means "fortification" or "stronghold." This name likely emerged during the Viking Age (793-1066 AD) when Norse explorers and settlers were establishing colonies across Europe and beyond.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Burgin can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of medieval literary works that recount the history and mythology of the Norse people. In the Saga of Burnt Njal, written around the 13th century, there is a character named Burgin Thorvaldsson, a skilled archer and warrior.
During the Middle Ages, the name Burgin was particularly prevalent in Scandinavia and the regions influenced by Norse culture, such as parts of Britain and Ireland. It was often used as a descriptive name for individuals who lived in or near a fortified settlement or castle.
One notable figure in history who bore the name Burgin was Burgin the Red, a 9th-century Viking chieftain who led a famous raid on the Frankish kingdom. His exploits were recorded in the Annals of St. Bertin, a medieval chronicle written by the Frankish scholar Hincmar.
In the 12th century, a Norwegian nobleman named Burgin Erlingsson played a significant role in the civil wars that plagued Norway during that period. He was a loyal supporter of King Sverre Sigurdsson and fought in several battles against rival factions.
Another historical figure named Burgin was a 14th-century Icelandic poet and scholar known as Burgin Jónsson. He was renowned for his contributions to the preservation of Old Norse literature and is credited with transcribing several important manuscripts.
In more recent times, a Swedish artist named Burgin Lindström (1892-1966) gained recognition for his landscape paintings and his involvement in the Swedish arts and crafts movement.
Burgin Olafsson (1920-2005) was an Icelandic chess player and one of the country's strongest players in the mid-20th century, representing Iceland in several international tournaments.
People
Burgin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Burgin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Burgin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Burgin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Burgin going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Burgin a common name?
We classify Burgin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Burgin most popular?
The single biggest year for Burgin was 1935, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Burgin is about 130 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Burgin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Burgin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Burgin in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Burgin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Burgin in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Burgin can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Burgin?
Want to know how many Americans are named Burgin? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.