2000
#12,986
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,164
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Burner
An occupational surname for someone who operated a furnace or kiln, such as a charcoal burner or limeburner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,315 Americans carry the last name Burner. That puts it at #14,273 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 148,058 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burner 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 Burner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 148,058
Census rank
#14,273
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,019 bearers of the surname Burner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14273rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burner, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burner
The surname BURNER is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old German word "burnari," which referred to individuals who were involved in the process of burning or firing materials, such as potters or blacksmiths. This occupation-based surname was likely adopted by those who worked in these professions or lived in areas known for such trades.
The earliest recorded instances of the BURNER surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany. One notable example is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, which mentions a "Johannes Burnere" in 1285.
In the 14th century, the BURNER name appeared in several other German records, including the Bürgermeisterbuch (Mayor's Book) of the city of Lübeck, which lists a "Hinricus Burnere" in 1348. During this time, the surname also started to spread to neighboring regions, such as Austria and Switzerland.
By the 15th century, variations of the BURNER surname had emerged, including Burner, Börner, and Bürner. These spelling variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and scribal practices. One notable individual from this period was Hans Burner (1470-1534), a German painter and printmaker from Nuremberg.
In the 16th century, the BURNER surname continued to appear in various German records, including church registers and tax rolls. One prominent figure was Johann Burner (1564-1631), a German theologian and author from Saxony, who wrote several influential works on Protestant theology.
The BURNER surname eventually spread beyond Germany, with individuals carrying the name emigrating to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. For instance, in the 18th century, there was a Johannes Burner (1712-1786) who was a influential craftsman and clockmaker in Pennsylvania, USA.
Other notable individuals with the BURNER surname throughout history include:
1. Friedrich Burner (1880-1944), a German businessman and politician from Bavaria.
2. Konrad Burner (1915-1991), a Swiss painter and sculptor known for his abstract and cubist works.
3. Elisabeth Burner (1892-1976), an Austrian writer and poet who published several collections of poetry and short stories.
4. Wilhelm Burner (1897-1966), a German architect and urban planner who designed several significant buildings in Berlin during the interwar period.
5. Franz Burner (1927-2018), a German-American mathematician and computer scientist who made significant contributions to the field of numerical analysis.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burner
Among Census respondents with the surname Burner, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Burner 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 Burner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.5% · 1,767
- Two or more races4.2% · 85
- Black or African American3.9% · 79
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burner
Burner 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
#13,578
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,233
+69 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Down 592 places
2020
#14,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,019
-214 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 695 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,986 | 2,164 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,578 | 2,233 | 0.76 | +69 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 592 places |
| 2020 | #14,273 | 2,019 | 0.68 | -214 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 695 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 Burner 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 | #13,578 | #14,273 | -5.1% |
| Count | 2,233 | 2,019 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.76 | 0.68 | -11.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burner bearers went from 2,233 to 2,019 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 695 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,578 to #14,273.
FAQ
Burner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burner?
Name Census estimates that about 2,315 living Americans carry the surname Burner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 148,058 residents.
How common is Burner?
Burner ranks #14,273 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,019 people with the surname Burner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,315), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Burner.
Has Burner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burner went from 2,233 recorded bearers to 2,019. That is a decrease of 214 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,578 to #14,273.
What does the Census say about the background of Burner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burner, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (3.9%). 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 Burner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (1,767 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Black (3.9%). 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 Burner (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 Burner mean?
An occupational surname for someone who operated a furnace or kiln, such as a charcoal burner or limeburner. 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 Burner (0.68 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 Americans have the surname Burner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.