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

Burmeister, 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 Burmeister surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Burmeister in America

Burmeister is the 7338th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Burmeister surname appeared 4,543 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Burmeister.

We can also compare 2010 data for Burmeister 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 Burmeister

The surname Burmeister originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle Low German words "bur" meaning a farmer or peasant, and "meister" meaning a master or leader. Thus, the name initially referred to a master farmer or someone who oversaw agricultural activities.

Early recordings of the name can be found in various historical documents from northern Germany and the surrounding regions. One of the earliest known references is in the town records of Lübeck in 1283, mentioning a man named Burmeister.

During the Middle Ages, the name was particularly prevalent in the areas of Saxony, Mecklenburg, and Pomerania. Variations in spelling included Burmeyer, Burmester, and Burmeister, with the latter becoming the standard form.

In the 14th century, a notable person with this surname was Johann Burmeister, a prominent merchant from Hamburg, who was involved in the lucrative trade of the Hanseatic League. Another early figure was Heinrich Burmeister, a scholar and theologian from Lüneburg, who lived from 1492 to 1567.

As the name spread across Germany, it was often associated with agricultural communities and landowners. In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the name was Hermann Burmeister, a farmer and landowner from Schleswig-Holstein, who acquired significant land holdings and influence in the region.

Moving into the 18th century, one of the most renowned individuals with this surname was Johann Burmeister, a German naturalist and entomologist. Born in 1807 in Stralsund, he made significant contributions to the study of insects and authored several seminal works on entomology.

Another notable figure was Georg Burmeister, a German-American architect and builder who lived from 1819 to 1892. He was responsible for designing and constructing several prominent buildings in Baltimore, Maryland, and played a crucial role in shaping the city's architectural landscape.

Throughout its history, the Burmeister surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, merchants, scholars, and artists. While its origins lie in the agricultural traditions of northern Germany, the name has since spread across the globe, representing a rich cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Burmeister

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

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

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

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