2000
#91,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 186
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Burnias
A Polish surname derived from the word "burski", meaning someone from the Burg region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 298 Americans carry the last name Burnias. That puts it at #79,118 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,150,182 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burnias 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.
Bearers in the US
298
1 in 1,150,182
Census rank
#79,118
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
260
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 260 bearers of the surname Burnias in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 79118th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burnias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burnias
The surname Burnias is of Eastern European origin, with roots tracing back to the 16th century in the region of modern-day Belarus and Lithuania. It is believed to have derived from the Belarusian or Lithuanian word "burnus," meaning "murmuring" or "grumbling," potentially referring to an ancestor with a distinctive voice or demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Burnias surname appears in the Lithuanian Metrica, a collection of official records from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, dated around 1550. This document mentions a landowner named Jurgi Burnias, who held property in the Vilnius region.
In the 17th century, the Burnias name was documented in the parish records of the town of Smarhon, located in present-day Belarus. These records indicate that a family with the surname Burnias had been residing in the area for several generations.
During the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the Burnias surname was Kasimir Burnias (1725-1798), a prominent merchant and landowner from the city of Hrodna, now in western Belarus. His successful business ventures and landholdings contributed to the family's prominence in the region.
In the 19th century, the Burnias name gained recognition through the literary works of Jozef Burnias (1849-1902), a renowned Belarusian poet and writer. His poems and stories captured the essence of rural life and folklore, cementing his place as a significant figure in Belarusian literature.
Another notable Burnias was Alaksandr Burnias (1878-1945), a Belarusian politician and diplomat who served as the foreign minister of the Belarusian People's Republic in the early 20th century. He played a crucial role in advocating for Belarusian independence during the turbulent years following World War I.
Over the centuries, variations of the Burnias surname have emerged, including Burnas, Burnias-Skrypiets, and Burniashka, reflecting regional linguistic influences and personal preferences.
While the Burnias surname may not be as widely recognized as some other Eastern European names, it carries a rich history deeply rooted in the cultural and literary heritage of Belarus and Lithuania, with notable individuals who have left their mark on various aspects of society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burnias
Among Census respondents with the surname Burnias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (0.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Burnias 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 Burnias surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.5% · 251
- White3.1% · 8
- Two or more races0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burnias
Burnias 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
#77,264
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 248
+62 bearers (+33.3%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 14,537 places
2020
#79,118
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 260
+12 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 1,854 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #91,801 | 186 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #77,264 | 248 | 0.08 | +62 bearers (+33.3%) | Up 14,537 places |
| 2020 | #79,118 | 260 | 0.09 | +12 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 1,854 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 Burnias 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 | #77,264 | #79,118 | -2.4% |
| Count | 248 | 260 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.09 | 8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burnias bearers went from 248 to 260 (+4.8% change). The surname moved down 1,854 positions in the national ranking, going from #77,264 to #79,118.
FAQ
Burnias surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burnias?
Name Census estimates that about 298 living Americans carry the surname Burnias. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,150,182 residents.
How common is Burnias?
Burnias ranks #79,118 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 260 people with the surname Burnias. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (298), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Burnias.
Has Burnias become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burnias went from 248 recorded bearers to 260. That is an increase of 12 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #77,264 to #79,118.
What does the Census say about the background of Burnias?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burnias, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.1%) and Two or More Races (0.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Burnias in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (251 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burnias appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (96.5%), White (3.1%), Two or More Races (0.4%). 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 Burnias (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 Burnias mean?
A Polish surname derived from the word "burski", meaning someone from the Burg region. 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 Burnias (0.09 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 have the surname Burnias?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.