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

Burgen, 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 Burgen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Burgen in America

Burgen is the 56972nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Burgen surname appeared 358 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 Burgen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Burgen 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.

The history of the last name Burgen

The surname "BURGEN" originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German word "burg," meaning "fortified town" or "castle." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals living in or near a fortified settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a manuscript from the Duchy of Saxony, dated around 1275, which mentions a certain "Henricus von Burgen." This indicates that the name was already in use during the High Middle Ages in the region of present-day northern Germany.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name was Johann Burgen, a merchant and burgher from the city of Hamburg. Records from 1367 show that he was involved in trade with the Hanseatic League, a powerful economic alliance of merchant guilds and market towns across northern Europe.

During the Renaissance period, the name appeared in various regions of Germany. In the 16th century, a scholar named Andreas Burgen (1486-1552) gained recognition for his contributions to the field of theology and his work translating ancient texts from Greek and Latin.

Another individual of note was Katharina Burgen (1499-1568), a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation movement. She was a close associate of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the establishment of Protestantism in the German states.

In the 17th century, the name was also found in areas of modern-day Austria and Switzerland. One notable bearer was Johann Michael Burgen (1623-1691), a renowned Swiss clockmaker and inventor who made significant advancements in the design and construction of timepieces.

As the name spread across different regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as "Burghen," "Burghen," and "Burgin." These variations were often influenced by local dialects and linguistic differences within the German-speaking territories.

Throughout its history, the surname "BURGEN" has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, scholars, reformers, and artisans, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Burgen

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

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 Burgen was:

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

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

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

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