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

Burnie, 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 Burnie surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Burnie in America

Burnie is the 103655th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Burnie surname appeared 173 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Burnie.

We can also compare 2010 data for Burnie 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 Burnie

The surname Burnie is of Scottish origin, and it is believed to have originated in the late 12th or early 13th century. The name is derived from the Gaelic word "burn," which means "stream" or "brook." It is thought to have been given as a descriptive name to someone who lived near a stream or brook.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Burnie can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of parchment rolls that recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to Edward I of England. In these rolls, the name is spelled "Burnye."

In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms in Scottish records, such as "Burnee," "Burney," and "Burnye." It is also believed that the name may be related to the place name "Burnie" in Morayshire, Scotland, which was first documented in the 13th century.

One notable person with the surname Burnie was William Burnie (c. 1340-1420), a Scottish nobleman and landowner who served as a member of the Scottish Parliament during the reign of King Robert III. Another early bearer of the name was John Burnie (c. 1450-1525), a Scottish cleric who served as the Bishop of Brechin in the early 16th century.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various records, including the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland. One example is Robert Burnie (c. 1620-1690), a merchant and burgess of Edinburgh who was involved in trade with the Netherlands.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Burnie continued to be found in various Scottish records. Notable individuals include James Burnie (1742-1820), a Scottish lawyer and writer who published works on Scottish history and law, and Alexander Burnie (1805-1876), a Scottish-born farmer and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada.

Another notable bearer of the name was Sir John James Burnie (1851-1923), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the jute industry in India. He was knighted in 1917 for his contributions to the war effort during World War I.

Overall, the surname Burnie has a rich history rooted in Scotland, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 12th or early 13th century. Over the centuries, it has been associated with various notable individuals, from landowners and clergymen to merchants and politicians.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Burnie

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

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

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

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