2000
#77,222
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 231
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Bure
An East Slavic locational surname derived from the word "bure" meaning "tempest" or "storm".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 311 Americans carry the last name Bure. That puts it at #76,478 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,102,104 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bure 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
311
1 in 1,102,104
Census rank
#76,478
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
271
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 271 bearers of the surname Bure in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 76478th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bure, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Black (6.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bure
The surname BURE originates from France and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "bure," which referred to a coarse woolen fabric used for making cloaks or robes worn by monks and peasants.
The name BURE was likely an occupational surname given to individuals involved in the production or trade of this woolen fabric. Some early variations of the spelling include Bure, Buret, and Bureau. The name is also associated with various place names in France, such as Bures-sur-Yvette and Bures-en-Bray.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BURE can be found in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a medieval manuscript dating back to the 11th century. This cartulary, or collection of charters, mentions a certain "Robertus dictus Bure" (Robert, called Bure) in the year 1095.
In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Guillaume de Bure was documented as a canon (a member of the clergy) in the diocese of Bourges, France. Another notable individual was Jean Bure, a French theologian and scholar who lived in the late 15th century and served as the rector of the University of Paris.
During the Renaissance era, a renowned French printer and bookseller, Guillaume Bure, made significant contributions to the publishing industry in Paris. He was born in 1588 and established a respected printing house that remained in operation until the late 18th century.
In the 17th century, a French soldier and military engineer named Jean-Baptiste Bure gained recognition for his expertise in fortifications. He was born in 1667 and served as the chief engineer of the fortifications in the city of Lille.
Another notable figure was Michel-Jean Bure, a French botanist and naturalist born in 1712. He made significant contributions to the study of plants and was a member of the prestigious Académie des Sciences in Paris.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the surname BURE, highlighting its French origins and diverse connections to occupations, places, and notable figures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bure
Among Census respondents with the surname Bure, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Black (6.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bure 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 Bure surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.8% · 227
- Hispanic or Latino7.7% · 21
- Black or African American6.6% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 3
- Two or more races0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bure
Bure 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
#80,419
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 236
+5 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 3,197 places
2020
#76,478
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 271
+35 bearers (+14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 3,941 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #77,222 | 231 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #80,419 | 236 | 0.08 | +5 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 3,197 places |
| 2020 | #76,478 | 271 | 0.09 | +35 bearers (+14.8%) | Up 3,941 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 Bure 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 | #80,419 | #76,478 | 4.9% |
| Count | 236 | 271 | 14.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.09 | 13.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bure bearers went from 236 to 271 (+14.8% change). The surname moved up 3,941 positions in the national ranking, going from #80,419 to #76,478.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bure
FAQ
Bure surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bure?
Name Census estimates that about 311 living Americans carry the surname Bure. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,102,104 residents.
How common is Bure?
Bure ranks #76,478 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 271 people with the surname Bure. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (311), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bure.
Has Bure become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bure went from 236 recorded bearers to 271. That is an increase of 35 (+14.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #80,419 to #76,478.
What does the Census say about the background of Bure?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bure, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.7%) and Black (6.6%). 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 Bure in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (227 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bure appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.8%), Hispanic (7.7%), Black (6.6%). 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 Bure (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 Bure mean?
An East Slavic locational surname derived from the word "bure" meaning "tempest" or "storm". 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 Bure (0.09 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 Bure?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.