2000
#8,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,800
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.41
Rare Last name
Burnell
A surname of French origin, derived from the Old French word "brunel," meaning "brown-haired" or "dark-skinned."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,262 Americans carry the last name Burnell. That puts it at #8,510 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 80,421 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burnell 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Burnell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 80,421
Census rank
#8,510
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,717 bearers of the surname Burnell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8510th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burnell
Among Census respondents with the surname Burnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Burnell 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 Burnell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.7% · 2,812
- Black or African American14.4% · 534
- Two or more races4.7% · 176
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 139
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burnell
Burnell 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
#8,097
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,095
+295 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Down 48 places
2020
#8,510
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,717
-378 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 413 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,049 | 3,800 | 1.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,097 | 4,095 | 1.39 | +295 bearers (+7.8%) | Down 48 places |
| 2020 | #8,510 | 3,717 | 1.24 | -378 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 413 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 Burnell 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 | #8,097 | #8,510 | -5.1% |
| Count | 4,095 | 3,717 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.39 | 1.24 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burnell bearers went from 4,095 to 3,717 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 413 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,097 to #8,510.
FAQ
Burnell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burnell?
Name Census estimates that about 4,262 living Americans carry the surname Burnell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 80,421 residents.
How common is Burnell?
Burnell ranks #8,510 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,717 people with the surname Burnell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,262), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Burnell.
Has Burnell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burnell went from 4,095 recorded bearers to 3,717. That is a decrease of 378 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,097 to #8,510.
What does the Census say about the background of Burnell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burnell, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Burnell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.7% (2,812 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burnell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.7%), Black (14.4%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Burnell (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 Burnell mean?
A surname of French origin, derived from the Old French word "brunel," meaning "brown-haired" or "dark-skinned." 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 Burnell (1.24 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 share the surname Burnell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.