Find out how popular the last name Burnaugh is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Burnaugh.
A locational surname likely derived from a place name containing burn meaning "small stream".
Burnaugh, 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 Burnaugh surname is from the 2010 census data.
Burnaugh is the 146201st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Burnaugh surname appeared 113 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 Burnaugh.
We can also compare 2010 data for Burnaugh 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.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 146201 | 135837 | 7.35% |
Count | 113 | 114 | -0.88% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.00% |
The surname Burnaugh originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from a combination of the Old English words "burna" meaning a stream or small river, and "hough" meaning a ridge or hill, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a stream or river on a hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Burnahog." This entry suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.
In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Burnhough" in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, indicating that it was still in use and had evolved slightly in spelling. During this period, the name was likely associated with various place names, such as Burnhough in Northumberland or Burnhaugham in Yorkshire.
One notable individual with the surname Burnaugh was Sir John Burnaugh, a knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century. He was born in 1420 and died in 1485, and his exploits were recorded in several contemporary chronicles.
In the 16th century, the name was sometimes spelled as "Burnough" or "Burnogh," as evidenced by records from the parish registers of various English counties. During this time, a prominent figure named William Burnaugh (1525-1590) was a successful merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol.
Another notable person with the surname was Sir Thomas Burnaugh (1600-1675), a Member of Parliament and supporter of the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War. He played a significant role in the events leading up to the execution of King Charles I in 1649.
By the 17th and 18th centuries, the spelling of the name had largely settled on the form "Burnaugh," as seen in various legal documents and parish records from that era. One individual of note was Elizabeth Burnaugh (1670-1745), a renowned author and poet whose works were widely read and appreciated during her lifetime.
Throughout its history, the surname Burnaugh has maintained a strong connection to its English roots, with many bearers of the name making significant contributions to various fields, including military service, politics, commerce, and literature.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Burnaugh.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Burnaugh was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 75.22% | 85 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 19.47% | 22 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.00% | 0 |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
Hispanic Origin | (S)% | (S) |
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 Burnaugh has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 75.22% | 79.82% | -5.93% |
Black | 19.47% | 14.91% | 26.53% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Hispanic | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
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 Burnaugh was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/burnaugh-surname-popularity/">Burnaugh last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Burnaugh last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 7, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/burnaugh-surname-popularity/.
"Burnaugh last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/burnaugh-surname-popularity/. Accessed 7 July, 2025
Burnaugh last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/burnaugh-surname-popularity/.
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