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

Burney, 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 Burney surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Burney in America

Burney is the 3888th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Burney surname appeared 9,126 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Burney.

We can also compare 2010 data for Burney 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 Burney

The surname Burney originated in England, likely deriving from the Old English word "burna," meaning a stream or small river. This suggests that the name may have been a topographic surname, given to someone who lived near a stream or brook.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Burnei" and "Burnehi." This indicates that the name was already established in various parts of England by the 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name was commonly spelled as "Burnay," "Burneye," and "Burney." These variations reflect the fluid nature of spelling practices in those times, as well as regional differences in pronunciation.

One notable historical figure bearing this surname was Thomas Burney (1694-1770), an English judge and author. He served as a Justice of the Court of Common Pleas and wrote several legal works.

In the 18th century, James Burney (1750-1821) was a renowned English naval officer and explorer. He led several expeditions to the Pacific Ocean and published accounts of his voyages, contributing to the understanding of navigation and cartography.

Another prominent individual was Frances Burney (1752-1840), an English satirical novelist and playwright. She is best known for her novels "Evelina" and "Cecilia," which offered insightful commentary on 18th-century English society.

Charles Burney (1726-1814) was a renowned English music historian and composer. He authored the influential work "A General History of Music," which remains a valuable resource for scholars studying the development of Western music.

In the 19th century, Admiral Sir Cecil Burney (1858-1929) was a prominent British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy. He held several important commands and played a significant role in the development of naval strategy during his time.

These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and achievements of individuals bearing the surname Burney throughout history, spanning fields such as law, exploration, literature, music, and military service.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Burney

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

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

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

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