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

Burbee, 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 Burbee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Burbee in America

Burbee is the 90113th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Burbee surname appeared 205 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Burbee.

We can also compare 2010 data for Burbee 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 Burbee

The surname Burbee originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English words 'burh' meaning fortified town or manor, and 'bece' meaning stream or brook. It likely referred to someone who lived near a fortified town by a stream.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'de Burbece', referring to a landowner from the area of Burbach in Derbyshire. This suggests the name was initially a place name before becoming a hereditary surname.

Another early reference is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a William de Burbece is mentioned as a landowner. This indicates the name had spread to other parts of England by the late 12th century.

During the 13th century, the name emerged in various spellings such as Burbeck, Burbage, and Burbeche, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and local dialects. One notable bearer was Sir John Burbage (c.1250-1325), a knight from Warwickshire who fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence.

By the 14th century, the name had evolved into its modern form of Burbee, with records showing a Richard Burbee as a taxpayer in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379. Another prominent figure was William Burbee (c.1420-1490), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire.

In the 16th century, the name continued to be found across England, with a concentration in the Midlands and northern counties. A notable example is Thomas Burbee (c.1540-1605), a successful clothier and alderman in the city of Worcester.

Over the centuries, the Burbee surname has been carried by a diverse range of individuals, from landowners and knights to merchants and tradesmen, reflecting the varied origins and social status of those who bore the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Burbee

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

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 Burbee 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 Burbee 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 Burbee was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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