2000
#10,779
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,717
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.01
Rare Last name
Burchell
An English toponymic surname derived from places named Bircholt, Birchill, or Burchells, meaning "birch hill" or "birch wood."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,749 Americans carry the last name Burchell. That puts it at #12,374 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,683 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burchell 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Burchell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 124,683
Census rank
#12,374
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,397 bearers of the surname Burchell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12374th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burchell, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burchell
The surname Burchell originated in England and dates back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "burh" meaning a fortified place or town, and "hyll" meaning a hill, thus implying someone who lived on a hill near a town or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Burchell can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a William de Burchull is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records maintained by the English crown in the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as Burchulle, Burchill, and Burchyll, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that time. The name is also believed to have originated from the place name Burchill in Berkshire, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086.
One notable bearer of the Burchell surname was Sir John Burchell (1553-1631), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for Gloucester in the early 17th century. Another was William Burchell (1782-1863), a renowned English explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively in southern Africa and made significant contributions to the study of botany and zoology.
In the 16th century, the surname Burchell was found in the records of the Subsidy Rolls for Oxfordshire, indicating the presence of families with this name in that county. The Subsidy Rolls were tax records maintained by the English government.
Other notable individuals with the surname Burchell include Jonathan Burchell (1752-1841), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars, and Richard Burchell (1815-1863), a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Council of Canada.
While the surname Burchell is not among the most common surnames in England, it has a rich history dating back several centuries and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, explorers, military personnel, and politicians.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burchell
Among Census respondents with the surname Burchell, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Burchell 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 Burchell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.3% · 1,997
- Black or African American7.8% · 187
- Two or more races3.9% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 83
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burchell
Burchell 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
#10,708
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,984
+267 bearers (+9.8%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Up 71 places
2020
#12,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,397
-587 bearers (-19.7%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 1,666 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,779 | 2,717 | 1.01 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,708 | 2,984 | 1.01 | +267 bearers (+9.8%) | Up 71 places |
| 2020 | #12,374 | 2,397 | 0.80 | -587 bearers (-19.7%) | Down 1,666 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 Burchell 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 | #10,708 | #12,374 | -15.6% |
| Count | 2,984 | 2,397 | -19.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 0.80 | -20.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burchell bearers went from 2,984 to 2,397 (-19.7% change). The surname moved down 1,666 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,708 to #12,374.
FAQ
Burchell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burchell?
Name Census estimates that about 2,749 living Americans carry the surname Burchell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,683 residents.
How common is Burchell?
Burchell ranks #12,374 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 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 2,397 people with the surname Burchell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,749), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 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 Burchell.
Has Burchell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burchell went from 2,984 recorded bearers to 2,397. That is a decrease of 587 (-19.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,708 to #12,374.
What does the Census say about the background of Burchell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burchell, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Black (7.8%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Burchell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.3% (1,997 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burchell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.3%), Black (7.8%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Burchell (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 Burchell mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from places named Bircholt, Birchill, or Burchells, meaning "birch hill" or "birch wood." 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 Burchell (0.80 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 are called Burchell?
Find out how many people are called Burchell on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.