2000
#4,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,628
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.46
Rare Last name
Burchfield
A locational surname referring to someone from any of several places named Burchfield, meaning "birch-covered field."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,293 Americans carry the last name Burchfield. That puts it at #5,292 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,998 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burchfield 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
7.3K
1 in 46,998
Census rank
#5,292
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,360 bearers of the surname Burchfield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5292nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burchfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burchfield
The surname Burchfield has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "burh" and "feld," meaning "fortified town" and "field," respectively. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name referring to someone who lived near a fortified town or field.
One of the earliest known records of the surname Burchfield can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This document mentions individuals with variations of the name, such as "de Burchfeld" and "Burchfelde."
During the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, including "Burchfeld," "Burchfild," and "Burchfelde," indicating regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. These variations often reflected the local dialects and accents of different areas in England.
One notable bearer of the Burchfield surname was Sir John Burchfield (c. 1480-1540), a prominent English landowner and member of the gentry in Staffordshire. He held significant estates and played a role in local governance during the reign of Henry VIII.
Another historical figure with this surname was Thomas Burchfield (1612-1677), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Provost of Eton College from 1651 to 1677. He was known for his contributions to education and was instrumental in the restoration of the college after the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, Elizabeth Burchfield (1727-1792) made her mark as a notable British botanist and naturalist. She contributed to the study of plants and their classification, particularly in the field of bryology, which focuses on mosses and liverworts.
During the 19th century, the Burchfield surname gained prominence in the United States. One notable individual was David Burchfield (1826-1901), a Union Army officer who fought in the American Civil War and later served as a member of the Kansas State Legislature.
Another significant figure was Samuel Burchfield (1853-1928), an American businessman and industrialist who founded the Burchfield Lumber Company in Arkansas. His company played a crucial role in the development of the lumber industry in the southern United States.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse backgrounds of individuals who have borne the Burchfield surname throughout the centuries, highlighting its enduring presence in various parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burchfield
Among Census respondents with the surname Burchfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Burchfield 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 Burchfield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 5,685
- Two or more races3.8% · 239
- Black or African American2.9% · 183
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 181
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burchfield
Burchfield 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
#5,274
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,612
-16 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 2.24
Rank movement Down 411 places
2020
#5,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,360
-252 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 2.13
Rank movement Down 18 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,863 | 6,628 | 2.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,274 | 6,612 | 2.24 | -16 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 411 places |
| 2020 | #5,292 | 6,360 | 2.13 | -252 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 18 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 Burchfield 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 | #5,274 | #5,292 | -0.3% |
| Count | 6,612 | 6,360 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.24 | 2.13 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burchfield bearers went from 6,612 to 6,360 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 18 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,274 to #5,292.
FAQ
Burchfield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burchfield?
Name Census estimates that about 7,293 living Americans carry the surname Burchfield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,998 residents.
How common is Burchfield?
Burchfield ranks #5,292 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,360 people with the surname Burchfield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,293), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Burchfield.
Has Burchfield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burchfield went from 6,612 recorded bearers to 6,360. That is a decrease of 252 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,274 to #5,292.
What does the Census say about the background of Burchfield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burchfield, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Black (2.9%). 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 Burchfield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (5,685 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burchfield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Black (2.9%). 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 Burchfield (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 Burchfield mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any of several places named Burchfield, meaning "birch-covered field." 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 Burchfield (2.13 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 surname Burchfield?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.