2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Burfiend
A surname referring to a resident of a fortified structure or castle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Burfiend. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burfiend 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Burfiend in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burfiend, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (5.3%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burfiend
The surname BURFIEND is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, with roots tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon era. The name is thought to derive from the Old English words "burh" meaning "fortified settlement" and "fiend" meaning "enemy" or "foe."
Historically, the name BURFIEND may have referred to an individual who resided near a fortified town or village and was known for their hostile or antagonistic nature towards others. Alternatively, it could have been a descriptive moniker given to someone who was perceived as an enemy or threat to a particular town or settlement.
While no definitive records exist regarding the appearance of the BURFIEND surname in early manuscripts or historical documents like the Domesday Book, it is plausible that variations of the name may have been present during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BURFIEND surname can be traced back to a certain John Burfiend, born around 1436 in Lincolnshire, England. He was a landowner and farmer who is mentioned in local parish records from the mid-15th century.
Another notable figure was Sir William Burfiend (1578-1642), a prominent English merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London during the reign of King Charles I. He played a significant role in the English Civil War, aligning himself with the Parliamentarian cause.
In the 17th century, a family by the name of Burfiend resided in the village of Burford, Oxfordshire. This may suggest a connection between the surname and the place name, possibly indicating that the family originated from or had ties to that particular location.
During the 18th century, a certain Thomas Burfiend (1712-1789) gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker and instrument maker in London. His intricate timepieces and scientific instruments were highly sought after by the aristocracy and scholarly circles of the time.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth Burfiend (1820-1898), a prominent educator and advocate for women's rights in the United States. She founded several schools for girls and campaigned tirelessly for equal educational opportunities for women in the latter half of the 19th century.
While the BURFIEND surname may not be among the most common in modern times, its rich history and potential connections to various places and individuals throughout the centuries make it a fascinating subject of study for onomatologists and genealogists alike.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burfiend
Among Census respondents with the surname Burfiend, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (5.3%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Burfiend 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 Burfiend surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 99
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.3% · 6
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burfiend
Burfiend 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,994 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 8,994 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 5,113 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 Burfiend 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 | #142,108 | #147,221 | -3.6% |
| Count | 117 | 113 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burfiend bearers went from 117 to 113 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 5,113 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #147,221.
FAQ
Burfiend surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burfiend?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Burfiend. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Burfiend?
Burfiend ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Burfiend. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Burfiend.
Has Burfiend become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burfiend went from 117 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Burfiend?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burfiend, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (5.3%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Burfiend in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burfiend appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (5.3%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Burfiend (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 Burfiend mean?
A surname referring to a resident of a fortified structure or castle. 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 Burfiend (0.04 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 last name Burfiend?
Find out how many people have the last name Burfiend on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.