2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Burnaugh
A locational surname likely derived from a place name containing burn meaning "small stream".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Burnaugh. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burnaugh 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Burnaugh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burnaugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (17.8%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burnaugh
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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burnaugh
Among Census respondents with the surname Burnaugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (17.8%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Burnaugh 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 Burnaugh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.2% · 79
- Black or African American17.8% · 18
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 3
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burnaugh
Burnaugh 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,364 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-12 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,069 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,364 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -12 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 9,069 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 Burnaugh 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 | #146,201 | #155,270 | -6.2% |
| Count | 113 | 101 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burnaugh bearers went from 113 to 101 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 9,069 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #155,270.
FAQ
Burnaugh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burnaugh?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Burnaugh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Burnaugh?
Burnaugh ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Burnaugh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Burnaugh.
Has Burnaugh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burnaugh went from 113 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Burnaugh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burnaugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (17.8%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Burnaugh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.2% (79 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burnaugh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.2%), Black (17.8%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Burnaugh (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 Burnaugh mean?
A locational surname likely derived from a place name containing burn meaning "small stream". 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 Burnaugh (0.03 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 Burnaugh?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.