2000
#9,759
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,057
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Burman
An English surname derived from the Old English term "burhmann," meaning a person living in or near a fortified town.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,102 Americans carry the last name Burman. That puts it at #11,183 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 110,495 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burman 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 Burman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 110,495
Census rank
#11,183
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,705 bearers of the surname Burman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11183rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burman, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burman
The surname Burman has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "burh" meaning a fortified town, and "mann" meaning a man or servant. This suggests that the name may have originated as an occupational surname for someone who worked in or guarded a town or borough.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bureman" in Cambridgeshire. This entry shows the name in its early form and provides evidence of its existence in England during the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Burman" and "Burmand," reflecting the evolution of its spelling over time. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the way the name was pronounced in different areas.
One notable individual bearing the surname Burman was John Burman, a prominent English merchant and politician who lived in the 14th century. He served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1386 and played a significant role in the city's trade and governance.
Another historical figure with the Burman surname was Thomas Burman, a 17th-century English playwright and poet. He was born in 1629 and is best known for his plays "The Valiant Scot" and "The Constant Couple," which were performed in London during the Restoration period.
In the 18th century, the Burman name was also associated with John Burman, a renowned English landscape architect and garden designer. He was born in 1707 and designed gardens for several notable estates, including Stowe and Claremont.
The name Burman has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Burman's Heath in Surrey and Burman's Court in Kent. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the Burman surname who were associated with or owned land in those areas.
Another significant figure with the Burman surname was Sir William Burman, a British diplomat and colonial administrator who lived in the 19th century. He served as the Governor of British Honduras (now Belize) from 1862 to 1870 and played a crucial role in the development of the colony.
Throughout its history, the surname Burman has been found across various parts of England, particularly in the southern and eastern regions. Its origins as an occupational surname and its connection to place names reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who bore this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burman
Among Census respondents with the surname Burman, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Burman 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 Burman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.3% · 2,225
- Black or African American5.5% · 148
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.1% · 137
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 116
- Two or more races2.7% · 74
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burman
Burman 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
#10,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,186
+129 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 355 places
2020
#11,183
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,705
-481 bearers (-15.1%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 1,069 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,759 | 3,057 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,114 | 3,186 | 1.08 | +129 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 355 places |
| 2020 | #11,183 | 2,705 | 0.90 | -481 bearers (-15.1%) | Down 1,069 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 Burman 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 | #10,114 | #11,183 | -10.6% |
| Count | 3,186 | 2,705 | -15.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 0.90 | -16.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burman bearers went from 3,186 to 2,705 (-15.1% change). The surname moved down 1,069 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,114 to #11,183.
FAQ
Burman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burman?
Name Census estimates that about 3,102 living Americans carry the surname Burman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 110,495 residents.
How common is Burman?
Burman ranks #11,183 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 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 2,705 people with the surname Burman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,102), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 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 Burman.
Has Burman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burman went from 3,186 recorded bearers to 2,705. That is a decrease of 481 (-15.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,114 to #11,183.
What does the Census say about the background of Burman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burman, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%). 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 Burman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.3% (2,225 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.3%), Black (5.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (5.1%). 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 Burman (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 Burman mean?
An English surname derived from the Old English term "burhmann," meaning a person living in or near a fortified town. 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 Burman (0.90 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 are called Burman?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Burman is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.