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

Burn, 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 Burn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Burn in America

Burn is the 20664th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Burn surname appeared 1,281 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Burn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Burn 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 Burn

The surname "Burn" is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 11th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "burna," meaning a stream or small river. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a stream or a river.

One of the earliest documented records of the surname "Burn" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Burne" and "Bourne," reflecting the evolving nature of surnames during that time period.

During the 13th century, the surname "Burn" began to appear in various English regions, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Suffolk. It is believed that the name may have been associated with certain place names, such as Burnham in Buckinghamshire or Burnley in Lancashire, further reinforcing its connection to watercourses or streams.

Notable individuals bearing the surname "Burn" throughout history include Robert Burn (c. 1752-1793), a Scottish poet and writer best known for his poetry collection "Tam o' Shanter." Richard Burn (1709-1785) was an English legal writer and clergyman who authored several influential works on ecclesiastical law.

In the 19th century, George Burn (1805-1890) was a British naval officer and explorer who conducted surveying expeditions in the Pacific Ocean. William Burn (1789-1870) was a Scottish architect and pioneer of the Scots Baronial architectural style, responsible for designing many notable buildings, including Glamis Castle in Angus.

Another prominent figure with the surname "Burn" was John Elliot Burn (1923-2022), a British politician and member of the House of Lords. He served as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs during the 1970s and played a significant role in Britain's relations with the European Economic Community (EEC) at the time.

While the surname "Burn" has evolved over the centuries and has been adopted by individuals from various regions, its origins can be traced back to the Old English word "burna," reflecting the importance of watercourses and natural features in the development of surnames in England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Burn

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

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

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

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