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

Burkett, 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 Burkett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Burkett in America

Burkett is the 1852nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Burkett surname appeared 19,369 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Burkett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Burkett 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 Burkett

The surname Burkett is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated from the Old English words "burh" meaning "fortified town" and "ket" meaning "cottager" or "small farmer." This suggests that the name initially referred to individuals who resided in or near a fortified town or borough.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Burkett can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and wealth in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Burkettus, residing in the county of Essex.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various records with spellings such as Burket, Burkett, and Burkette. These variations were likely due to inconsistencies in record-keeping and the influence of local dialects.

In the 14th century, the name Burkett was associated with several notable figures. One such individual was John Burkett, a wealthy merchant and landowner from the city of York, who was born around 1320. Another was William Burkett, a prominent cleric and scholar who served as the Bishop of Lincoln from 1363 to 1390.

The 15th century saw the emergence of several Burkett families in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Dorset. These families often derived their names from the places they inhabited, such as Burkett's Green in Gloucestershire and Burkett's Farm in Wiltshire.

In the 16th century, the name Burkett gained further prominence with individuals like Thomas Burkett (1519-1585), a successful wool merchant and benefactor of the town of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. Another notable figure was Elizabeth Burkett (1548-1624), a renowned herbalist and midwife from the village of Stratford-upon-Avon, who was contemporaneous with William Shakespeare.

The 17th century witnessed the birth of several distinguished Burketts, including Sir John Burkett (1620-1692), a prominent lawyer and member of the English Parliament, and Robert Burkett (1643-1715), an influential theologian and author of several religious treatises.

As the centuries progressed, the name Burkett continued to be associated with various professions and fields, from agriculture and trade to academia and politics. Some notable figures include John Burkett (1764-1842), a respected agriculturist and pioneer of modern farming techniques, and Mary Burkett (1815-1892), a celebrated author and poet from the county of Derbyshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Burkett

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

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

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

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