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

Burleigh, 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 Burleigh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Burleigh in America

Burleigh is the 10377th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Burleigh surname appeared 3,105 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Burleigh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Burleigh 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 Burleigh

The surname Burleigh originates from England and dates back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is a locational surname derived from the Old English words "burh" meaning fortified town or manor, and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow. The name referred to someone who lived near a fortified town or manor located in a meadow.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Burleigh appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is spelled as "Burlea" in this document, referring to a location in Berkshire.

Another early reference is found in the Feet of Fines records for Essex in 1202, where the name is spelled "Burlega". These records document the transfer of land ownership and property transactions.

The earliest recorded person with the surname Burleigh is Walter de Burley, a prominent 14th-century philosopher and logician who was born around 1275 in Burley, Rutland. He served as tutor to the son of King Edward III and wrote several influential works on logic and philosophy.

In the 15th century, William Burleigh (c. 1420 – 1494) was an English cleric and diplomat who served as Bishop of Lincoln and Keeper of the Privy Seal under King Henry VII.

During the Tudor period, William Cedyll Burleigh (c. 1520 – 1598), known as Lord Burghley, was a prominent statesman who served as Lord High Treasurer and Chief Minister under Queen Elizabeth I.

Another notable figure was John Burleigh (1607 – 1690), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Charterhouse School and wrote several works on theology and philosophy.

In the 18th century, James Burleigh (1737 – 1821) was an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Charterhouse School and was renowned for his scholarship in classical literature.

The name Burleigh is also associated with several place names in England, such as Burley in Rutland, Burleigh in Wiltshire, and Burley in Hampshire, reflecting the name's locational origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Burleigh

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

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

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

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