2000
#6,224
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,060
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.88
Rare Last name
Burgett
Derived from a place name meaning "fortress" or "castle" in Old English or Old French.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,763 Americans carry the last name Burgett. That puts it at #6,493 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,475 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burgett 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Burgett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.8K
1 in 59,475
Census rank
#6,493
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,026 bearers of the surname Burgett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6493rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burgett, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burgett
The surname Burgett is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "burg," which means a fortified town or a borough. The name was likely initially used to identify individuals who lived or worked in or near a borough or a fortified settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Burgett can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a certain "Ricardus de Burghett" who held lands in the county of Hertfordshire.
The name underwent various spelling variations throughout history, including Burget, Burgett, Burgette, and Burghett. These variations were common during the Middle Ages when standardized spelling conventions had yet to be established.
In the 13th century, records show a John Burgett who was a prominent landowner in the village of Burgett, located in the county of Wiltshire. It is likely that the place name itself was derived from the surname, indicating the presence of a family with that name in the area.
One notable figure bearing the name Burgett was Sir Thomas Burgett (1478-1541), a English courtier and diplomat who served under King Henry VIII. He held various positions, including Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and Constable of Dover Castle.
Another individual of historical significance was William Burgett (1565-1624), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Dean of Guildford and the Rector of Portchester. He was known for his scholarly contributions and writings on theological subjects.
In the 17th century, a family by the name of Burgett settled in the Virginia Colony of British America. One of their descendants, James Burgett (1672-1745), became a prominent landowner and plantation owner in the colony.
During the English Civil War (1642-1651), a certain Captain John Burgett (1610-1675) fought for the Parliamentarian forces and played a role in several notable battles, including the Battle of Naseby in 1645.
While the Burgett surname is not as prevalent today as some other English surnames, it continues to be a part of the historical record, with various individuals bearing this name having left their mark across different eras and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burgett
Among Census respondents with the surname Burgett, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Burgett 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 Burgett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 4,443
- Two or more races4.7% · 235
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 193
- Black or African American1.5% · 76
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burgett
Burgett 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
#6,323
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,399
+339 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 1.83
Rank movement Down 99 places
2020
#6,493
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,026
-373 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Down 170 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,224 | 5,060 | 1.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,323 | 5,399 | 1.83 | +339 bearers (+6.7%) | Down 99 places |
| 2020 | #6,493 | 5,026 | 1.68 | -373 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 170 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 Burgett 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 | #6,323 | #6,493 | -2.7% |
| Count | 5,399 | 5,026 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.83 | 1.68 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burgett bearers went from 5,399 to 5,026 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 170 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,323 to #6,493.
FAQ
Burgett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burgett?
Name Census estimates that about 5,763 living Americans carry the surname Burgett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,475 residents.
How common is Burgett?
Burgett ranks #6,493 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.68 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 5,026 people with the surname Burgett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,763), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.68 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 Burgett.
Has Burgett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burgett went from 5,399 recorded bearers to 5,026. That is a decrease of 373 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,323 to #6,493.
What does the Census say about the background of Burgett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burgett, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) 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 Burgett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (4,443 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burgett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Two or More Races (4.7%), 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 Burgett (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 Burgett mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "fortress" or "castle" in Old English or Old French. 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 Burgett (1.68 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 Burgett?
Find out how many people are called Burgett on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.