2000
#6,567
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,759
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.76
Rare Last name
Burg
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname referring to a person who lived in a fortified town or castle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,316 Americans carry the last name Burg. That puts it at #6,985 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,476 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burg 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
5.3K
1 in 64,476
Census rank
#6,985
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,636 bearers of the surname Burg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6985th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burg
The surname "BURG" originated in England and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English word "burh," which means a fortified town or castle. The name is believed to have been initially used as a place name to refer to someone who lived near a burgh or fortified settlement.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property conducted in 1086 on the orders of William the Conqueror. The book mentions individuals with the surname "Burg" and variations such as "Burge" and "Burghe."
In the 13th century, the name "Burg" appeared in several historical documents, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded the names of landowners and taxpayers. During this period, the surname was also associated with various place names, such as Newburgh, Knaresburgh, and Aldbrough.
One notable figure bearing the surname was Robert Burg, a 14th-century English cleric and chancellor of the University of Cambridge, who lived from around 1305 to 1375. Another early example is John Burgh, a 15th-century English soldier and diplomat, born around 1418, who served under King Henry VI during the Hundred Years' War.
In the 16th century, the surname gained prominence with the birth of William Burgh (1522-1599), an English religious reformer and scholar who played a significant role in the English Reformation. He served as a chaplain to Queen Elizabeth I and was known for his translations of ancient Greek texts.
During the 17th century, the name was associated with various notable individuals, including John Burgh (1594-1667), an English churchman and author, and Hubert de Burgh (1608-1629), an English historian and author of "The Life and Reign of King Henry III."
Another prominent figure was James Burgh (1714-1775), a Scottish writer and educational theorist, best known for his work "The Dignity of Human Nature," which advocated for progressive education and moral philosophy.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the surname "BURG," which has its roots in the Old English language and is closely tied to the history and settlement patterns of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burg
Among Census respondents with the surname Burg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Burg 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 Burg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 4,240
- Two or more races3.0% · 137
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 134
- Black or African American1.6% · 75
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burg
Burg 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
#6,846
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,919
+160 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.67
Rank movement Down 279 places
2020
#6,985
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,636
-283 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Down 139 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,567 | 4,759 | 1.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,846 | 4,919 | 1.67 | +160 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 279 places |
| 2020 | #6,985 | 4,636 | 1.55 | -283 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 139 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 Burg 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 | #6,846 | #6,985 | -2.0% |
| Count | 4,919 | 4,636 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.67 | 1.55 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burg bearers went from 4,919 to 4,636 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 139 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,846 to #6,985.
FAQ
Burg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burg?
Name Census estimates that about 5,316 living Americans carry the surname Burg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,476 residents.
How common is Burg?
Burg ranks #6,985 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.55 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 4,636 people with the surname Burg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,316), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.55 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 Burg.
Has Burg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burg went from 4,919 recorded bearers to 4,636. That is a decrease of 283 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,846 to #6,985.
What does the Census say about the background of Burg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (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 Burg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (4,240 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (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 Burg (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 Burg mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname referring to a person who lived in a fortified town 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 Burg (1.55 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 Burg?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.