Burnam
Of Old English origin meaning "place of the stream, brook" or "stream valley".
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Burnam. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Burnam today is around 120 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Burnam births was 1935 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Burnam. 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 Burnam is about 120 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Burnams were born before 1916.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Burnam. 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
120
years old
1935 SSA rank
#3,305
Tracked since 1935
Popularity
Burnam: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Burnam 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 Burnam during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Burnam
The given name Burnam is an English surname that has been adopted as a masculine first name. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "burna," which means a small stream or brook. The name may have been initially used as a locational surname for someone who lived near a small stream or brook.
Burnam is a relatively rare name, and its earliest recorded use as a first name is difficult to pinpoint with certainty. However, there are a few historical figures who have borne this name over the centuries.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Burnam was William Burnam, an English clergyman who lived in the 16th century. He served as a rector in the Church of England and was known for his scholarly work on ecclesiastical law.
In the 18th century, there was a Burnam Hibbard, an American farmer and landowner from Connecticut. He was born in 1726 and was a prominent figure in his local community.
During the 19th century, a notable bearer of the name was Burnam Woolfolk, a American politician and lawyer from Kentucky. He was born in 1822 and served as a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives.
Another 19th-century figure with the name Burnam was Burnam Burnett, an American soldier who fought in the American Civil War. He was born in 1838 and served in the Union Army, achieving the rank of Major.
In the 20th century, one of the most well-known individuals with the name Burnam was Burnam Woodrich, an American author and playwright. He was born in 1901 and is best known for his novels and plays that explored themes of social justice and the human condition.
While the name Burnam is not as common as some other English names, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including clergymen, farmers, politicians, soldiers, and writers.
People
Burnam + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Burnam 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
Burnam: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Burnam?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Burnam 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 Burnam a common name?
We classify Burnam 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, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Burnam most popular?
The single biggest year for Burnam was 1935, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Burnam is about 120 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 Burnam in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Burnam a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Burnam 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 Burnam still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Burnam 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 Burnam 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 have the name Burnam?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Burnam on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.