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

Burnell, 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 Burnell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Burnell in America

Burnell is the 8097th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Burnell surname appeared 4,095 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Burnell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Burnell 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 Burnell

The surname Burnell originated in England and traces its roots back to the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is derived from the Old French word "burnele," meaning a small stream or brook. This name likely referred to someone who lived near a small brook or stream.

The earliest recorded instance of the Burnell surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Burnell" and "Burnel." This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the Burnell family held lands in Shropshire and played a prominent role in English politics. Robert Burnell (c. 1239-1292) served as Lord Chancellor of England under King Edward I and was a key advisor during the Welsh Wars.

Another notable figure was Edward Burnell (c. 1349-1415), who was a member of the House of Commons and served as Sheriff of Shropshire in 1403. He was also involved in the suppression of the Owain Glyndŵr rebellion in Wales.

The Burnell surname can also be traced to several place names in England, such as Burnell in Shropshire and Burnell Green in Essex. These place names likely derived from the same Old French root word, further solidifying the name's connection to geographical features.

In the 16th century, the Burnell family expanded their influence, with Richard Burnell (c. 1520-1586) serving as a Member of Parliament for Shropshire and his son, Edward Burnell (c. 1550-1628), holding the position of High Sheriff of Shropshire.

As the Burnell family grew and spread across England, variations in spelling emerged, including Burnill, Burnhill, and Burnhills. Despite these variations, the name's core meaning and connection to small streams or brooks remained consistent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Burnell

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

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

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

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