2000
#99,725
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 168
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Buring
A surname derived from a geographic location or place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 226 Americans carry the last name Buring. That puts it at #98,501 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,516,612 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Buring 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
226
1 in 1,516,612
Census rank
#98,501
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
197
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 197 bearers of the surname Buring in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 98501st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Buring, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Buring
The surname BURING has its origins in Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Old High German word "bur," which means "farmer" or "peasant." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked as a farmer or lived in a rural area.
One of the earliest known references to the name BURING can be found in the church records of the village of Bürstadt, located in the state of Hesse, Germany. In the year 1571, a man named Hans BURING was recorded as a resident of the village. It is possible that the name evolved from a place name, such as Bürstadt or a similar location, with the addition of the suffix "-ing" indicating association or origin.
In the 17th century, the name BURING began to appear in various parts of Germany, including the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. During this period, the spelling of the name may have varied slightly, with variations such as BUERING or BÜRING being used.
One notable figure from history who bore the name BURING was Johann BURING (1638-1701), a German composer and organist who served as the court musician for the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. His compositions, primarily sacred works and organ pieces, were influential in the Baroque era.
Another individual of note was Friedrich BURING (1763-1834), a German theologian and author who served as a pastor in the town of Kirchheim unter Teck in Württemberg. He published several works on religious topics and was known for his sermons and writings.
In the late 18th century, a family with the surname BURING emigrated from Germany to the United States, settling in Pennsylvania. One of their descendants, Johann Friedrich BURING (1805-1869), became a prominent farmer and landowner in the region, contributing to the agricultural development of the area.
The BURING name can also be found in other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands and Switzerland, though its origins and early history are closely tied to Germany. Throughout its long history, the surname BURING has been associated with various occupations, including farming, music, theology, and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Buring
Among Census respondents with the surname Buring, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Buring 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 Buring surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 180
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 8
- Two or more races3.6% · 7
- Black or African American0.5% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Buring
Buring 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
-45 bearers (-26.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 36,724 places
2020
#98,501
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 197
+74 bearers (+60.2%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 37,948 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #99,725 | 168 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | -45 bearers (-26.8%) | Down 36,724 places |
| 2020 | #98,501 | 197 | 0.07 | +74 bearers (+60.2%) | Up 37,948 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 Buring 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 | #136,449 | #98,501 | 27.8% |
| Count | 123 | 197 | 60.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.07 | 64.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Buring bearers went from 123 to 197 (+60.2% change). The surname moved up 37,948 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #98,501.
FAQ
Buring surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Buring?
Name Census estimates that about 226 living Americans carry the surname Buring. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,516,612 residents.
How common is Buring?
Buring ranks #98,501 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 197 people with the surname Buring. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (226), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Buring.
Has Buring become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Buring went from 123 recorded bearers to 197. That is an increase of 74 (+60.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #136,449 to #98,501.
What does the Census say about the background of Buring?
Among Census respondents with the surname Buring, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Buring in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (180 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Buring appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Buring (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 Buring mean?
A surname derived from a geographic location or place name. 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 Buring (0.07 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 common is the surname Buring?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Buring on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.