Burel last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Burel

A locative surname derived from a place name associated with the French word burel, meaning a coarse woolen cloth.

Burel, 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 Burel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Burel in America

Burel is the 55962nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Burel surname appeared 366 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 Burel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Burel 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 55962 47485 16.39%
Count 366 420 -13.74%
Proportion per 100k 0.12 0.16 -28.57%

The history of the last name Burel

The surname Burel originated in England, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "burel," meaning "coarse woolen cloth." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for a weaver or cloth merchant.

Burel is believed to have first appeared in historical records in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name was likely associated with individuals involved in the textile trade or those residing in areas known for wool production.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Burel can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a William Burel is mentioned. This document recorded financial transactions between the Crown and landowners, suggesting that the Burel family may have held property or had sufficient means during that time.

In the 13th century, a prominent individual named Richard Burel (c. 1210-1275) was a prominent English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Winchester from 1258 until his death. His legacy includes the construction of the impressive Wolvesey Castle in Winchester, which served as the bishop's residence.

Another notable figure was Sir John Burel (c. 1320-1380), a distinguished soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War under King Edward III. Records indicate that he participated in several significant battles, including the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and the Siege of Calais in 1347.

In the 15th century, the surname Burel appeared in various spellings, such as Burrell, Burwell, and Burwill, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and scribal variations. One example is John Burwell (c. 1435-1495), a wealthy merchant and landowner from the county of Essex.

While the origins of the surname Burel can be traced back to England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. Variations of the name can be found in countries like France, where it is spelled "Burelle," and the United States, where it has taken on forms like "Burrell" or "Burwell."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Burel

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

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 Burel was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 69.13% 253
Non-Hispanic Black Only 24.59% 90
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.91% 7
Hispanic Origin 3.55% 13

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 Burel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 69.13% 70.48% -1.93%
Black 24.59% 24.76% -0.69%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.91% 1.43% 28.74%
Hispanic 3.55% 2.86% 21.53%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Burel last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 11, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/burel-surname-popularity/.

"Burel last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/burel-surname-popularity/. Accessed 11 July, 2025

Burel last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/burel-surname-popularity/.

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