2000
#8,766
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,446
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.28
Rare Last name
Burkes
Derived from the Irish surname de Búrca, meaning "from the fortress," or from the English place name Burgh.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,105 Americans carry the last name Burkes. That puts it at #8,787 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,497 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burkes 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 Burkes with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 83,497
Census rank
#8,787
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,580 bearers of the surname Burkes in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8787th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burkes, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.2%. The next largest groups are White (40.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burkes
The surname Burkes is of Anglo-Norman origin and is derived from the Old French word "burgh" or "bourg," meaning a small town or village. It is believed to have originated in England during the 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name was initially a locational name given to someone who lived in or near a small village or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Burkes can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Burgh." This record indicates that the name was already established in England by the late 11th century. Over time, the spelling evolved to various forms such as Burgh, Burghe, and eventually Burkes.
During the Middle Ages, the Burkes family held significant power and influence in various parts of England and Ireland. One notable member of the family was William de Burgh (c. 1160-1206), a powerful Anglo-Norman nobleman who served as Lord of Connaught and played a crucial role in the Norman invasion of Ireland in the late 12th century.
Another prominent figure with the surname Burkes was Elizabeth Burgh (c. 1284-1327), an English noblewoman who was the daughter of Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester, and the wife of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots. She played a significant role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against England.
In the 16th century, Sir John Burkes (c. 1500-1550) was an English soldier and courtier who served under King Henry VIII. He held various positions, including Lieutenant of the Tower of London and Lord Deputy of Ireland.
William Burkes (1608-1679), an English Puritan clergyman and writer, was a prominent figure during the English Civil War. He was a member of the Westminster Assembly and authored several religious works, including "Vindiciæ Legis," a defense of the moral law.
Thomas Burkes (1719-1797) was an Irish-born British explorer and author who is best known for his travels and writings on Spanish America. His work, "An Account of the Spanish Settlements in America," published in 1757, provided valuable insights into the Spanish colonies in the Americas.
The Burkes surname has been associated with various places and locations throughout history, such as Burgh Castle in Norfolk, England, and the town of Burgh in Suffolk, England. The name has also been linked to various noble families and estates, including the de Burgh family, who held lands in Ireland and England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burkes
Among Census respondents with the surname Burkes, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.2%. The next largest groups are White (40.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Burkes 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 Burkes surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American51.2% · 1,833
- White40.1% · 1,436
- Two or more races4.7% · 169
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 110
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burkes
Burkes 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
#8,655
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,796
+350 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Up 111 places
2020
#8,787
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,580
-216 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Down 132 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,766 | 3,446 | 1.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,655 | 3,796 | 1.29 | +350 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 111 places |
| 2020 | #8,787 | 3,580 | 1.20 | -216 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 132 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 Burkes 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 | #8,655 | #8,787 | -1.5% |
| Count | 3,796 | 3,580 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.29 | 1.20 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burkes bearers went from 3,796 to 3,580 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 132 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,655 to #8,787.
FAQ
Burkes surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burkes?
Name Census estimates that about 4,105 living Americans carry the surname Burkes. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,497 residents.
How common is Burkes?
Burkes ranks #8,787 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,580 people with the surname Burkes. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,105), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Burkes.
Has Burkes become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burkes went from 3,796 recorded bearers to 3,580. That is a decrease of 216 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,655 to #8,787.
What does the Census say about the background of Burkes?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burkes, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.2%. The next largest groups are White (40.1%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Burkes in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.2% (1,833 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burkes appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (51.2%), White (40.1%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Burkes (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 Burkes mean?
Derived from the Irish surname de Búrca, meaning "from the fortress," or from the English place name Burgh. 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 Burkes (1.20 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 Burkes?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.