2000
#10,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,678
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.99
Rare Last name
Bourg
A French topographic surname for someone who lived in or near a fortified town.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,073 Americans carry the last name Bourg. That puts it at #11,273 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 111,537 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bourg surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 111,537
Census rank
#11,273
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,680 bearers of the surname Bourg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11273rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bourg, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bourg
The surname BOURG originates from the French language and dates back to the medieval period in France. It is derived from the Old French word "bourg," which means "town" or "village." This name likely referred to someone who lived in a particular town or village.
In the early Middle Ages, many surnames were derived from the place where a person lived or was born. The name BOURG would have been given to individuals who resided in a town or village, particularly in the northern regions of France.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BOURG can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "de Burg," which was a common Norman-French variation at the time.
During the 12th century, a notable figure named Robert de Bourg (1125-1183) was a prominent nobleman and Lord of Aquila in southern Italy. He played a significant role in the Norman conquest of Sicily and served as a military commander under King Roger II of Sicily.
In the 13th century, Bertrand de Bourg (c. 1210-1280) was a French nobleman and soldier who served as a Marshal of France under King Louis IX. He participated in the Seventh Crusade and was known for his bravery and military exploits.
Another noteworthy individual was Jean de Bourg (1390-1472), a French cleric and diplomat who served as the Bishop of Avranches and later as the Archbishop of Rouen. He played a crucial role in the reconciliation between France and England during the latter stages of the Hundred Years' War.
In the 16th century, Antoine de Bourg (1520-1559) was a prominent French Protestant reformer and scholar. He was executed for his religious beliefs during the French Wars of Religion, becoming a martyr for the Protestant cause.
During the 17th century, Jacques de Bourg (1620-1685) was a French dramatist and playwright known for his tragedies and comedies. His works were widely performed in Paris and other parts of France during his lifetime.
These examples illustrate the historical significance and geographical distribution of the surname BOURG, which has been associated with prominent figures from various walks of life throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bourg
Among Census respondents with the surname Bourg, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bourg bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bourg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 2,412
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 147
- Two or more races2.6% · 69
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 26
- Black or African American0.5% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bourg
Bourg appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,469
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,745
+67 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 562 places
2020
#11,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,680
-65 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Up 196 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,907 | 2,678 | 0.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,469 | 2,745 | 0.93 | +67 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 562 places |
| 2020 | #11,273 | 2,680 | 0.90 | -65 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 196 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bourg surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,469 | #11,273 | 1.7% |
| Count | 2,745 | 2,680 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.90 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bourg bearers went from 2,745 to 2,680 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 196 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,469 to #11,273.
FAQ
Bourg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bourg?
Name Census estimates that about 3,073 living Americans carry the surname Bourg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 111,537 residents.
How common is Bourg?
Bourg ranks #11,273 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,680 people with the surname Bourg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,073), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bourg.
Has Bourg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bourg went from 2,745 recorded bearers to 2,680. That is a decrease of 65 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,469 to #11,273.
What does the Census say about the background of Bourg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bourg, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bourg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (2,412 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bourg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Hispanic (5.5%), Two or More Races (2.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bourg (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bourg mean?
A French topographic surname for someone who lived in or near a fortified town. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bourg (0.90 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Bourg?
See how common the surname Bourg is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.