2000
#3,762
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,653
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.21
Rare Last name
Burney
A habitational surname derived from places in England, likely referring to a burn or stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,848 Americans carry the last name Burney. That puts it at #4,013 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,804 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burney 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 Burney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.8K
1 in 34,804
Census rank
#4,013
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,588 bearers of the surname Burney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4013th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burney, the largest self-reported group is Black at 44.9%. The next largest groups are White (43.2%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burney
Among Census respondents with the surname Burney, the largest self-reported group is Black at 44.9%. The next largest groups are White (43.2%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Burney 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 Burney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American44.9% · 3,859
- White43.2% · 3,712
- Two or more races5.3% · 451
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 275
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 253
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burney
Burney 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
#3,888
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,126
+473 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 3.09
Rank movement Down 126 places
2020
#4,013
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,588
-538 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 2.87
Rank movement Down 125 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,762 | 8,653 | 3.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,888 | 9,126 | 3.09 | +473 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 126 places |
| 2020 | #4,013 | 8,588 | 2.87 | -538 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 125 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 Burney 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 | #3,888 | #4,013 | -3.2% |
| Count | 9,126 | 8,588 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.09 | 2.87 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burney bearers went from 9,126 to 8,588 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 125 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,888 to #4,013.
FAQ
Burney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burney?
Name Census estimates that about 9,848 living Americans carry the surname Burney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,804 residents.
How common is Burney?
Burney ranks #4,013 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.87 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,588 people with the surname Burney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,848), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.87 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Burney.
Has Burney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burney went from 9,126 recorded bearers to 8,588. That is a decrease of 538 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,888 to #4,013.
What does the Census say about the background of Burney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burney, the largest self-reported group is Black at 44.9%. The next largest groups are White (43.2%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Burney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 44.9% (3,859 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (44.9%), White (43.2%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Burney (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 Burney mean?
A habitational surname derived from places in England, likely referring to a burn or stream. 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 Burney (2.87 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 common is the surname Burney?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Burney on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.