2000
#8,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,740
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.39
Rare Last name
Burdett
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Bordeaux or Bordet in France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,128 Americans carry the last name Burdett. That puts it at #8,745 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,032 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burdett 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 Burdett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 83,032
Census rank
#8,745
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,600 bearers of the surname Burdett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8745th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burdett, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Black (5.4%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burdett
The surname Burdett is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "burde," meaning "lady" or "noble maiden." It is believed to have originated as a nickname for someone with a noble bearing or a connection to a noble household.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Burdett can be traced back to the 13th century. In the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, a record of landholders in England, there are several entries for individuals with the surname Burdett, including William Burdett in Staffordshire and Robert Burdett in Oxfordshire.
The Burdett family has a long and illustrious history in England. One of the earliest notable figures was Sir Francis Burdett (1770-1844), a British politician and reformer who campaigned for parliamentary reform and workers' rights. He was a member of Parliament for Westminster and was imprisoned for his outspoken views.
Another prominent member of the Burdett family was Sir Robert Burdett (1640-1716), an English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Warwickshire. He was also a philanthropist and founded a school in his hometown of Aston-le-Walls.
In the realm of literature, the name Burdett is associated with the English poet and playwright Francis Beaumont (1584-1616), whose mother's maiden name was Burdett. Beaumont was known for his collaborations with John Fletcher, and their plays, such as "The Knight of the Burning Pestle" and "Philaster," were highly influential in the development of English drama.
The Burdett surname is also linked to several places in England, such as Burdett Park in Middlesbrough and Burdett Road in London. These place names likely derived from the surname, indicating the presence of Burdett families in those areas.
Another notable figure with the Burdett surname was Sir Henry Burdett (1847-1920), a British philanthropist and hospital administrator. He was instrumental in improving hospital conditions and advocating for better nursing practices in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Overall, the surname Burdett has a rich history in England, with connections to nobility, politics, literature, and philanthropy, dating back to the 13th century and continuing through to the present day.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burdett
Among Census respondents with the surname Burdett, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Black (5.4%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Burdett 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 Burdett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.9% · 3,094
- Black or African American5.4% · 194
- Two or more races4.2% · 151
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 106
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burdett
Burdett 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
#8,512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,868
+128 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Down 352 places
2020
#8,745
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,600
-268 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Down 233 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,160 | 3,740 | 1.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,512 | 3,868 | 1.31 | +128 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 352 places |
| 2020 | #8,745 | 3,600 | 1.20 | -268 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 233 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 Burdett 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 | #8,512 | #8,745 | -2.7% |
| Count | 3,868 | 3,600 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.31 | 1.20 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burdett bearers went from 3,868 to 3,600 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 233 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,512 to #8,745.
FAQ
Burdett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burdett?
Name Census estimates that about 4,128 living Americans carry the surname Burdett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,032 residents.
How common is Burdett?
Burdett ranks #8,745 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.20 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 3,600 people with the surname Burdett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.20 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 Burdett.
Has Burdett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burdett went from 3,868 recorded bearers to 3,600. That is a decrease of 268 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,512 to #8,745.
What does the Census say about the background of Burdett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burdett, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Black (5.4%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Burdett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.9% (3,094 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burdett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.9%), Black (5.4%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Burdett (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 Burdett mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Bordeaux or Bordet in France. 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 Burdett (1.20 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 Americans have the surname Burdett?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.