2000
#3,725
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,743
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.24
Rare Last name
Burley
From the Old English byrlæ, an occupational surname for a cup-bearer or butler in a noble household.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,260 Americans carry the last name Burley. That puts it at #4,247 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,015 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burley 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 Burley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.3K
1 in 37,015
Census rank
#4,247
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,075 bearers of the surname Burley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4247th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burley, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.7%. The next largest groups are Black (31.5%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burley
The surname Burley is of English origin, with records dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "burh" meaning a fortified town or manor, and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing. The name likely originated as a place name, referring to someone who lived in or near a meadow or clearing by a fortified town or manor.
The earliest known record of the surname Burley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners and property holders in England. The entry mentions "Richard de Burleia" as a landholder in Wiltshire.
During the Middle Ages, variations in spelling were common, and the name appeared in various forms such as Burleigh, Burlee, and Burly. Some of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname include Sir John Burley (c. 1330 - 1416), a prominent English soldier and diplomat who served under King Richard II, and William Burley (c. 1275 - 1344), an English philosopher and logician known for his contributions to medieval scholastic thought.
In the 16th century, the surname Burley was associated with several notable figures, including Walter Burley (c. 1515 - 1585), an English Puritan clergyman and author. Another prominent individual was Sir John Burley (c. 1525 - 1587), an English soldier and courtier who served under Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, the surname gained prominence with individuals such as Thomas Burley (c. 1635 - 1701), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Warwickshire. During this period, the surname was also associated with several place names, including Burley in Hampshire and Burley in Rutland.
Moving into the 18th and 19th centuries, notable individuals with the surname Burley include William Burley (1770 - 1858), an English botanist and horticulturist, and Walter Burley Griffin (1876 - 1937), an American architect renowned for designing the city of Canberra, Australia's capital.
Throughout its history, the surname Burley has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including soldiers, politicians, scholars, and artists, reflecting its enduring presence across the English-speaking world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burley
Among Census respondents with the surname Burley, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.7%. The next largest groups are Black (31.5%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Burley 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 Burley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.7% · 4,821
- Black or African American31.5% · 2,546
- Two or more races4.7% · 380
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 220
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 57
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 51
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burley
Burley 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
#4,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,542
-201 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 2.90
Rank movement Down 424 places
2020
#4,247
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,075
-467 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 2.70
Rank movement Down 98 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,725 | 8,743 | 3.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,149 | 8,542 | 2.90 | -201 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 424 places |
| 2020 | #4,247 | 8,075 | 2.70 | -467 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 98 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 Burley 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 | #4,149 | #4,247 | -2.4% |
| Count | 8,542 | 8,075 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.90 | 2.70 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burley bearers went from 8,542 to 8,075 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 98 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,149 to #4,247.
FAQ
Burley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burley?
Name Census estimates that about 9,260 living Americans carry the surname Burley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,015 residents.
How common is Burley?
Burley ranks #4,247 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,075 people with the surname Burley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,260), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Burley.
Has Burley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burley went from 8,542 recorded bearers to 8,075. That is a decrease of 467 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,149 to #4,247.
What does the Census say about the background of Burley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burley, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.7%. The next largest groups are Black (31.5%) 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Burley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.7% (4,821 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.7%), Black (31.5%), 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 Burley (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 Burley mean?
From the Old English byrlæ, an occupational surname for a cup-bearer or butler in a noble household. 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 Burley (2.70 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 Burley?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Burley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.