Find out how popular the last name Birt is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Birt.

Birt, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Birt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Birt in America

Birt is the 12095th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Birt surname appeared 2,577 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Birt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Birt to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Birt

The surname Birt is of English origin, derived from the Old English word 'byrht' meaning bright or shining. It is believed to have originated as a nickname for someone with a bright or radiant complexion or personality.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various counties across southern England, including Somerset, Dorset, and Devon. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Birt, mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Somerset in 1268.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, which documented landholders and their holdings. The entry mentions a John Birt, who held land in the village of Nettlebed.

The Birt surname has also been found in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a Thomas Birt is listed as a taxpayer. Additionally, the name appears in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1380, with a Richard Birt recorded as a resident.

Variations in the spelling of the surname, such as Birte, Birt, and Byrte, can be found in various historical documents from different regions of England.

Notable individuals with the surname Birt include:

1. Sir Jonathan Birt (c. 1550-1614), an English merchant and the first Governor of the East India Company from 1601 to 1614.
2. William Radcliffe Birt (1804-1881), an English lawyer and author who wrote several works on legal history and jurisprudence.
3. Nathaniel Birt (1762-1841), an English Nonconformist minister and author of several religious works.
4. John Birt (1744-1822), an English botanist and co-founder of the Linnean Society of London in 1788.
5. Theodora Birt (1874-1962), a British painter and illustrator known for her portraits and landscape paintings.

The Birt surname has a rich history rooted in medieval England, with various instances of the name appearing in historical records and documents from different regions. While its origins can be traced back to Old English, the name has evolved over the centuries and has been associated with notable individuals in various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Birt

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Birt.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Birt was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Birt has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Birt was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Birt, please contact us.

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