2000
#70,906
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 257
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Burgee
A surname derived from the French word "bourgeois", referring to someone from a borough or town.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 305 Americans carry the last name Burgee. That puts it at #77,676 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,123,785 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burgee 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
305
1 in 1,123,785
Census rank
#77,676
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
266
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 266 bearers of the surname Burgee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 77676th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burgee, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.4%. The next largest groups are Black (11.7%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burgee
The surname BURGEE is of English origin, emerging in the late 13th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "burga" or "byrig," meaning a fortified town or borough. The name likely referred to someone who lived in or came from a particular borough or town.
During the medieval period, the BURGEE surname appears in various historical records and documents. One notable reference is found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, dated around 1273, where a certain William Burgee is mentioned as a landowner.
In the 14th century, the surname is recorded with alternative spellings such as Bourghey, Burghie, and Burghy. These variations reflect the regional dialects and phonetic adaptations common during that era.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the BURGEE surname was John Burgee, born in 1412 in Somerset, England. He was a prosperous merchant and landowner, leaving behind a substantial estate upon his death in 1478.
In the 16th century, the BURGEE name gained prominence with the rise of Sir William Burgee (1520-1588), a respected lawyer and member of the English Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another notable figure was Robert Burgee (1635-1701), a prominent Puritan minister and author who played a significant role in the religious life of colonial Massachusetts.
During the 17th century, the BURGEE surname was also associated with the town of Burgh in Norfolk, England. This place name connection likely contributed to the surname's evolution and regional distribution.
In the 18th century, the BURGEE family established itself in various parts of England, with notable members including John Burgee (1702-1782), a wealthy merchant and landowner in Yorkshire, and Mary Burgee (1745-1812), a renowned botanist and author of several influential works on plant life.
As the centuries progressed, the BURGEE surname continued to spread across England and its colonies, with individuals bearing this name making their mark in various fields, from politics and law to academia and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burgee
Among Census respondents with the surname Burgee, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.4%. The next largest groups are Black (11.7%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Burgee 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 Burgee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.4% · 206
- Black or African American11.7% · 31
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.8% · 10
- Two or more races3.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burgee
Burgee 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
#85,357
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 219
-38 bearers (-14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 14,451 places
2020
#77,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 266
+47 bearers (+21.5%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 7,681 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #70,906 | 257 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #85,357 | 219 | 0.07 | -38 bearers (-14.8%) | Down 14,451 places |
| 2020 | #77,676 | 266 | 0.09 | +47 bearers (+21.5%) | Up 7,681 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 Burgee 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 | #85,357 | #77,676 | 9.0% |
| Count | 219 | 266 | 21.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.09 | 27.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burgee bearers went from 219 to 266 (+21.5% change). The surname moved up 7,681 positions in the national ranking, going from #85,357 to #77,676.
FAQ
Burgee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burgee?
Name Census estimates that about 305 living Americans carry the surname Burgee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,123,785 residents.
How common is Burgee?
Burgee ranks #77,676 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 266 people with the surname Burgee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (305), 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 Burgee.
Has Burgee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burgee went from 219 recorded bearers to 266. That is an increase of 47 (+21.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #85,357 to #77,676.
What does the Census say about the background of Burgee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burgee, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.4%. The next largest groups are Black (11.7%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Burgee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.4% (206 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burgee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.4%), Black (11.7%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Burgee (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 Burgee mean?
A surname derived from the French word "bourgeois", referring to someone from a borough or town. 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 Burgee (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 people share the surname Burgee?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.