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

Burnes, 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 Burnes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Burnes in America

Burnes is the 12488th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Burnes surname appeared 2,484 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 Burnes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Burnes 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 Burnes

The surname Burnes originated in England during the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "burna," meaning a small stream or brook. This suggests that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a small stream or brook.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1198, where a person named William Burne is mentioned. The name was also present in various other medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273 and the Subsidy Rolls of 1327.

In the 13th century, the name was predominantly found in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire. This is likely due to the abundance of small streams and brooks in those areas.

The surname Burnes has also been linked to several place names, such as Burneshead in Cumbria and Burneside in Westmorland. These place names suggest that individuals may have taken their surnames from the locations where they lived or worked.

One notable bearer of the surname Burnes was Sir Alexander Burnes (1805-1841), a Scottish explorer and writer who traveled extensively in Central Asia. He was assassinated in Kabul, Afghanistan, during an uprising against the British.

Another significant figure was Sir George Burnes (1786-1849), a British diplomat and colonial administrator who served as the Resident of the East India Company in Sindh (now part of Pakistan).

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name was John Burnes, who was born in Massachusetts in 1631.

Other notable individuals with the surname Burnes include:

1. Anita Burnes (1903-1986), an American actress and singer.
2. Robert Burnes (1759-1796), a Scottish poet and the elder brother of the renowned poet Robert Burns.
3. David Burnes (1888-1958), a British Army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross during World War I.
4. James Burnes (1801-1862), a Scottish military officer and explorer who served in the East India Company.

The surname Burnes has undergone various spellings over the centuries, including Burn, Burne, and Byrne. Despite these variations, the name has maintained its connection to its English origins and the concept of living near a small stream or brook.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Burnes

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

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

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

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