2000
#19,491
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,282
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.48
Rare Last name
Burkley
A locational surname referring to someone from any one of several places called Berkley or Barkley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,439 Americans carry the last name Burkley. That puts it at #21,262 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 238,189 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burkley 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 Burkley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.4K
1 in 238,189
Census rank
#21,262
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,255 bearers of the surname Burkley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 21262nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burkley, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.8%. The next largest groups are Black (35.6%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burkley
The surname Burkley is of English origin, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "burh" or "burg," meaning a fortified town or settlement, combined with the suffix "-ley," which denotes a meadow or clearing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Burkeley." This suggests that the name was initially associated with a particular place name, likely a location with a fortified town surrounded by meadows or clearings.
During the medieval period, the Burkley surname was prominent in various regions of England, including Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Worcestershire. It is documented in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey commissioned by William the Conqueror to record land ownership and taxation details.
Notable individuals bearing the Burkley name include Sir John Burkley (c. 1350-1412), a prominent English soldier and landowner who fought in the Hundred Years' War. Another significant figure was William Burkley (1571-1632), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Lewes and wrote several theological works.
In the 16th century, the surname gained prominence in the county of Gloucestershire, where the Burkley family held significant land and influence. Sir Robert Burkley (1548-1619) was a notable member of this lineage, serving as a Member of Parliament and holding the position of High Sheriff of Gloucestershire.
Moving into the 17th century, the Burkley name continued to be associated with landed gentry and influential families. Sir Maurice Burkley (1617-1687) was a prominent English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of King Charles II.
Another noteworthy figure was Elizabeth Burkley (1684-1758), an English writer and poet who gained recognition for her work "The Ladies' Calling," which explored the roles and responsibilities of women in society.
As the surname spread across England and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, including Burkeley, Burkly, and Birkley. These variations often reflected regional dialects and preferences, but all ultimately traced their roots back to the original Old English derivation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burkley
Among Census respondents with the surname Burkley, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.8%. The next largest groups are Black (35.6%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Burkley 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 Burkley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.8% · 700
- Black or African American35.6% · 447
- Two or more races5.4% · 68
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burkley
Burkley 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
#19,398
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,393
+111 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Up 93 places
2020
#21,262
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,255
-138 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.42
Rank movement Down 1,864 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,491 | 1,282 | 0.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,398 | 1,393 | 0.47 | +111 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 93 places |
| 2020 | #21,262 | 1,255 | 0.42 | -138 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 1,864 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 Burkley 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 | #19,398 | #21,262 | -9.6% |
| Count | 1,393 | 1,255 | -9.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.47 | 0.42 | -10.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burkley bearers went from 1,393 to 1,255 (-9.9% change). The surname moved down 1,864 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,398 to #21,262.
FAQ
Burkley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burkley?
Name Census estimates that about 1,439 living Americans carry the surname Burkley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 238,189 residents.
How common is Burkley?
Burkley ranks #21,262 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.42 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 1,255 people with the surname Burkley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,439), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.42 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 Burkley.
Has Burkley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burkley went from 1,393 recorded bearers to 1,255. That is a decrease of 138 (-9.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #19,398 to #21,262.
What does the Census say about the background of Burkley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burkley, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.8%. The next largest groups are Black (35.6%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Burkley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.8% (700 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burkley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.8%), Black (35.6%), Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Burkley (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 Burkley mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any one of several places called Berkley or Barkley. 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 Burkley (0.42 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 Burkley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.