2000
#8,061
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,792
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.41
Rare Last name
Burlingame
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "homestead of Bərla's people" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,139 Americans carry the last name Burlingame. That puts it at #8,721 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 82,811 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burlingame 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.
Bearers in the US
4.1K
1 in 82,811
Census rank
#8,721
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,609 bearers of the surname Burlingame in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8721st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burlingame, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burlingame
The surname BURLINGAME is of English origin, with roots that can be traced back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the village of Burlingame in Hampshire, England. The name itself is a combination of two Old English words, "burg" meaning a fortified town or manor, and "inga" referring to a tribe or family, with "ham" denoting a homestead or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BURLINGAME can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Burlingeham." This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, recorded landowners and properties throughout England. The presence of the name in this important record suggests that the BURLINGAME family had established roots in the region by the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Burlingeham" and "Burlyngham," reflecting the fluid nature of spelling conventions during that time period. These variations likely arose from regional dialects and the personal preferences of scribes and record-keepers.
One notable figure bearing the BURLINGAME surname was Sir Roger Burlingame (c. 1300-1370), a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War under Edward III. His exploits and valor on the battlefield are documented in several contemporary chronicles, cementing his place in the annals of English history.
Another prominent individual was Sir John Burlingame (1520-1587), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament during the reign of Elizabeth I. He played a crucial role in local politics and served as a justice of the peace for Hampshire.
In the 17th century, the BURLINGAME family gained further prominence with the birth of Anselm Burlingame (1610-1678), a renowned scholar and clergyman. He studied at the University of Oxford and later became the Bishop of Winchester, renowned for his erudition and ecclesiastical contributions.
The 18th century saw the emergence of William Burlingame (1745-1821), a merchant and philanthropist who amassed a considerable fortune through his trading ventures. He was instrumental in establishing several charitable organizations and endowed a school in his hometown, leaving a lasting legacy of community service.
As the BURLINGAME family expanded and migrated, the name also found its way to other parts of the world, including the United States. One notable individual was Anson Burlingame (1820-1870), an American diplomat and politician who served as the United States Minister to China during the late 19th century. His efforts in negotiating the Burlingame Treaty of 1868 played a significant role in establishing friendly relations between the two nations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burlingame
Among Census respondents with the surname Burlingame, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Burlingame 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 Burlingame surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 3,262
- Two or more races4.1% · 147
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 136
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 15
- Black or African American0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burlingame
Burlingame 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
#8,472
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,897
+105 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 1.32
Rank movement Down 411 places
2020
#8,721
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,609
-288 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 249 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,061 | 3,792 | 1.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,472 | 3,897 | 1.32 | +105 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 411 places |
| 2020 | #8,721 | 3,609 | 1.21 | -288 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 249 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 Burlingame 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 | #8,472 | #8,721 | -2.9% |
| Count | 3,897 | 3,609 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.32 | 1.21 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burlingame bearers went from 3,897 to 3,609 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 249 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,472 to #8,721.
FAQ
Burlingame surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burlingame?
Name Census estimates that about 4,139 living Americans carry the surname Burlingame. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 82,811 residents.
How common is Burlingame?
Burlingame ranks #8,721 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.21 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 3,609 people with the surname Burlingame. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.21 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 Burlingame.
Has Burlingame become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burlingame went from 3,897 recorded bearers to 3,609. That is a decrease of 288 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,472 to #8,721.
What does the Census say about the background of Burlingame?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burlingame, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Burlingame in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (3,262 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burlingame appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Burlingame (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 Burlingame mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "homestead of Bərla's people" in Old English. 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 Burlingame (1.21 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 Burlingame?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.